Crabs, Caves, Bats and Waves

Day Three: East end, caves and bats

The only scheduled touristy adventure I planned was a road trip around the East End. I mapped out little touristy points of interest and fun stops along the way. Unfortunately, Cruise Ship Patty didn't anticipate the entire planned route and stops to only take an hour... did I mention Grand Cayman isn't very big??

Queen's Monument - blew right past it.

Wreck of the Ten Sails Memorial
This is a quaint little overlook memorial of old sip wreckage offshore on the reef. There is a nice little walking path, vintage artifacts from wrecks in the area and a great overlook spot. We got there just before the cruise ship tours started arriving so we had the whole place to ourselves.

Kids thought this propeller was neat to stand next to and touch.

Nest stop - Blow Holes!

Ok, so to Handy Man and I these blow holes didn't even come close to comparing to blow holes we had seen in Hawaii... but the kids thought they were pretty cool.

I can honestly say, I enjoyed watching the kids more than anything...

That was the drive! haha

We did plan a tour of the Cayman Caves. It involved a guided walking tour of the tropical rain forest and the underground cave systems on Grand Cayman.

The tour started off in this tree house type structure where they had a little gift shop and bug spray station. Mosquitoes you say? I'll take 4 bottles please!

We were guided along a lush trail as we learned about the different trees and plants in the Cayman rain forest. We were able to venture into and explore three different caves. Each was unique and beautiful.

The kids loved climbing up into tiny little places so they could explore every inch of the caves, stalactites and stalagmites.

So many different shapes and sizes, colors and textures.

There were tree roots hanging from the ceilings in search of a water source.

In the last cave we went into, there was an underground water source.

The tour company had installed a specialized light system which had different settings and each one illuminated different features of the cave and pool. It was amazing just how complex the cave systems truly are and the depth.

The kids said they liked these caves better than the cave we visited in South Dakota.

Perhaps what made the caves so much more interesting to the kids...

...  spotting and watching all the fruit bats hanging from the ceilings or flying around overhead!

After the caves we headed back to the rental and spent some time swimming in the pool. The complex also had a swimming pool!

The kids found a hermit crab.

My Brown Eyed Girl and Mr Blue Eyes tried to convince me to let them keep it confined, some way, for the rest of the week. Alas, we agreed it was better to release the crab and perhaps find him another day. 

Grand Cayman - The Best Vacation Ever!

It's been about 5 years since Handy Man and I took the kids on a really nice, family vacation - just the four of us. Over a year ago, Handy Man asked me what I wanted to do for my big birthday coming up. I told him all I really wanted to do was plan a nice beach vacation somewhere we have never been and take the kids there for a week, just us. I wanted to unplug and spend quality time with my family. He said, "Plan it!" - anywhere I wanted to go.

I put on my Cruise Ship Patty hat, pulled out my iPad and started researching. The results of a year of researching and planning ended up being one of the best vacations I have ever taken in my life. And the memories we made as a family, utterly priceless!

Destination: Grand Cayman!

I settled on a VRBO townhouse on the north side near Rum Point. Research said it was the "quiet side" of the island and that definitely appealed to us. While the sugar white sand of 7 Mile Beach area looked breathtaking in photographs, I read that there are 3-5 cruise ships that disembark daily to the area. We just didn't want to deal with all of those people every day. Not to mention, a lot of the big to-do tourist items were in and around Rum Point. 

Day One: Just get there already!

We elected to skip Thanksgiving this year and found very reasonable airline tickets flying out Thanksgiving morning. Bright and early we headed to the airport and the kids were ooozing with excitement and anticipation!

I was a bit stressed as our flights had been altered by the airline company a few months before leaving us a 38 minute window between our connecting flights in Charlotte. I had the airport map in hand and had prepped this kids for weeks that we would have to grab all our stuff and Home Alone the Charlotte airport at full speed! I then had to let them watch Home Alone to understand what I meant by that reference... Thank goodness we arrive about 15 minutes early in Charlotte and made our connection flight with ease. 

We arrived in Grand Cayman in the afternoon and we got to experience deplaning on the runway! The kids thought it was hysterical that they got to use stairs to get off the plane. We gathered our bags and walked to the rental car office. 

The moment of truth.

Grand Cayman is a British Island. Therefore... they drive on the left side of the road! Correction, Handy Man would be driving on the LEFT side of the road! I chose to assume the role as Navigator and left the potential fender-bender to him. I had studied tips and tricks for driving on the left side of the road and I even had a print out with diagrams on how to approach round-a-bouts, which are clock-wise not counter clock-wise like back home. Cruise Ship Patty at your service!

As Handyman left with the rental car gal to get the car, the kids and I waited anxiously with our luggage. Like Hawaii, there were wild chickens everywhere. The kids thought it was a hoot. 

Handy Man pulled up front and I started laughing hysterically! Not only did he have to master driving on the wrong side of the road this week... BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ALSO ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE CAR!

Here we go! Jesus take the wheel.

Oh, and Handy Man argued with me about reserving the SUV for our trip. After loading our luggage and stopping at the grocery store, we were packed in like sardines! I am glad I went with my instincts! The kids barely made it out of Georgetown and were fast asleep. Cat napping before the big reveal of our rental.

We found our home for the next week and unloaded the car. The kids changed into their swimming suits before we could even turn on all the lights and they were out the door exploring the bay out back. Our rental sat on one of only a handful of natural bioluminescent bays in the world. The first two nights of our stay were prime time for kayaking at night to see the bioluminescents. I also made sure our rental came with kayaks for us to use. We had two kid and two double-seater kayaks at our leisure all week, as well as snorkel gear! 

The kids wasted no time learning how to kayak before it got dark and we pushed off to see the night show.                                                            

Handy Man and I sat back with a cold beverage in our hands, toes in the sand, watching the kids kayak as the sun set with the quiet breeze and night sounds around us. Nothing else in the world mattered but that moment!

Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in capturing any great photos or videos of our night time kayak adventures. Maybe it was the phone, maybe the protective waterproof case... but I swear it was magical like this!

Day Two: Show me the beach!

Every morning I started my day with perfection! I drug a chair down to the waters edge, a cup of coffee in my hand and watched the minnows swim and the little crabs move along the floor of the crystal clear water. 

Our fist full day we were completely unscheduled. 

On the kids' agenda was learning how to snorkel. Chicken 1 and Chicken 2 were too intimidated to just jump right in and start exploring. And god forbid they got wet in the process! It was comical watching them figure everything out. 

I will have to give my Brown Eyed Girl an A+ for ingenuity.

Mr Blue Eyes is our more cautious child. He likes to let sister be the crash test dummy and then either follows her successes or learns from her failures before ever attempting something new on his own.

Handy Man could only handle so much of this attempt to snorkel before he hauled a kayak out in the water to assist in their exploration and snorkeling education.

After an hour they finally ditched the kayaks...

Another 30 min and we managed to get the beached whales into the wide open water.

Mid afternoon, we walked over to Rum Point Beach on the ocean side and enjoyed lunch on the beach, a few cocktails, more snorkeling and some sand castle building

I just love this girl!

Mr Blue Eyes met some buddies while I was snorkeling with my Brown Eyed Girl. They were busy building moats and pools.

Handy Man day dreamed of retirement...

It was such a busy, fun-filled day, my Brown Eyed Girl and I needed a late afternoon nap in the lanai.

What more could you ask for? This vacation was turning out to me perfection!

We took the kayaks out for one more night time stroll on the bio bay and finished our evening with a very competitive game of Monopoly. 

Don't let the vacation end! 

Little Monsters

Driving home from our Kansas adventure, I asked my Brown Eyed Girl and Mr Blue Eyes to really (not just kinda but really) start thinking about what they wanted to be this year for Halloween.

Mr Blue Eyes: a Hockey Player (Again)!!!

My Brown Eyed Girl: maybe Rey from Star Wars???

When we got home Mr Blue Eyes was firm in his decision for a repeat costume. Granted, he assured me it was a "different" costume as he wasn't going to wear his Penguins jersey again this year (said with a subtle but not so subtle eye roll) he would be wearing his Arapahoe Hockey jersey. Obviously different!

My Brown Eyed Girl and I sat on the couch and scrolled through Amazon's selection of Rey costumes. She decided she wasn't really "feeling" the Rey this year. We started looking at alternative ideas and she perked up at the belly dancer and gypsy costumes. Without second guessing herself she said, "Oh! I want to be that for Halloween!"

We narrowed our search and she pined over the different styles and colors of gypsy costumes. Settling on a red fringed number, we hit order.

My Brown Eyed Girl waited anxiously for that Amazon box to be delivered two days later. The night it finally arrived, her excitement was bubbling over. As I opened the box and she stole that first glance of her vibrant red costume, she wiggled with glee and nearly squealed with excitement. The smile on her face out shined its self and I couldn't help but grab her in my arms, give her a huge hug and kiss her on top of her head. I told her I loved her and please don't ever stop being my little girl.

I glanced up at Handy Man from across the room as he watched the magic that spilled out of that opened box. He too smiled but did so while shaking his head because he knows how much this little girl has always loved to dress up, spin and twirl in dresses and embrace everything magical that comes with being that adorable little girl playing dress up.

I helped her try on the costume and she twirled around the room, testing the golden coin tassels that hung from her costume. My heart was literally bulging from the seams with love for my Brown Eyed Girl. You see, I love that even at 10 years old, my daughter still picks the most frilly, girly, dressy Halloween costumes. Silently, I prayed for her to never lose that little girl deep down inside of her.

Halloween fell on a Thursday this year.

The kids' school always holds a Monster Mash party in the school's gymnasium the weekend of Halloween. It's a must that we attend. A bit of a costume spoiler, but the kids thoroughly enjoy running around with their friends and playing carnival games for candy. It's also the best time to get a good picture of the kids in their costumes as they aren't bulk dressing for the cold weather and busting the door down in anticipation of running the streets mad in a feeding frenzy for candy and all things trick-or-treating.

I present to you the toughest forward this side of the Mississippi.

... and the most beautiful and talented traveling Gypsy. 

The obligatory photos in front of the front door, once again a success!

Monster Mash did not disappoint! 

A hundred semi-supervised elementary kids running a muck in the school gym while gorging on candy and playing carnival games. Parents standing in central locations, commiserating and counting down the minutes until it's all over. 

These boys! Coolest cats around!

Halloween arrived with just as much anticipated excitement as all of the other previous Halloweens for Mr Blue Eyes. He was especially excited knowing that we were giving one of his best buddies a ride to school that morning.

My Brown Eyed Girl was less like herself.

I must have asked her four times to get dressed for school. When she finally did come out of her room, I was irritated. She wasn't wearing the clothes we had selected a few days prior. The ones that would be best under her costume. Confused, I asked her several times why she didn't have her red tank top on under her sweatshirt. The red tank top that made her gypsy costume a more acceptable 10 year old version of itself. She just shrugged and wouldn't answer me.

As I was packing lunches and becoming more frustrated, I started in on my soap box of why she has to wear a tank top under her costume at school. As I looked over my shoulder to see if she was listening, I caught the anguish in her eyes. I turned and asked her what was the matter???

With gigantic crocodile tears and her face in her hands, my beautiful Brown Eyed Girl sobbed. She sobbed and became nearly impossible to understand. I was so confused. What was wrong with her? Was she feeling sick? I asked her what was the matter...

With hesitation, she told me she needed a new costume to wear at school. More tears escaped and her hands covered her face once again, in shame.

What do you mean you need a new costume?

And with that question, my beautiful little girl's soul crumbled as she confessed that a couple of mean boys at school had made fun of her costume the night of the Monster Mash. Then on Monday morning one of the boys had continued to taunt her about being "a pretty, pretty princess" for Halloween and wondered if she was going to wear her "pretty, pretty princess dress" on Thursday. She begged me for a new costume, because she just could not wear a dress to school.

I am not sure which emotion screamed the loudest inside my head at that moment.
Rage.
Extreme sadness.
Sorrow.
Empathy.
Disgust.

I took my little girl in my arms and hugged her even tighter. I told her that kids and people can be so cruel. I reminded her how much she loved that costume the night we opened the box together. I reminded her how she felt the first time she tried it on and how she looked the night of the Monster Mash. She was beautiful. I dug deep and came up with excuses for why someone would be so mean and tease her. Excuses that I knew were crap. But anything to pull her back to me. Anything to help her remember how wonderful she felt a few days ago.

She smiled faintly, wiped her tears from her cheeks and we agreed that we can't let others turn out our lights or take away our smiles.

I helped her changes her shirt and we pinned her hair up the way she had wanted to wear it that day.

She packed her costume in her back pack and seemed to have pushed the dread away.

Mr Blue Eyes' party started at 1:00. I helped his teacher organize the snacks and lead a few riveting rounds of Halloween Bingo. Exciting chatter filled the room as super heroes, villeins, various animals and a hockey player snacked on treats and juice boxes.

My Brown Eyed Girl's party started at 1:30. A few minutes before, I excused myself from Mr Blue Eyes' party (assuring him I would return) and walked down the hall to 5th grade. I walked into the room as my Brown Eyed Girl's class was returning from lunch.

A handful of her classmates slipped off to the bathrooms to change into their costumes. I stood in the back of the room and watched my Brown Eyed Girl sit in her chair, steadfast. She was making no effort to get her costume and change. I asked her, "Are you going to change?" She just shrugged. Maybe they were being released by table groupings?

I said hello to her teacher, another mother... and with effort I met her eyes again, "Are you going to change into your costume?" Again, she only shrugged her shoulders. A slight smile on her face as she broke eye contact with me again.

The teacher started a movie and the kids moved around the room for a better spot to watch from. I asked her a third and final time, "Are you going to change?"

One last time she shrugged her shoulders and whispered, "Maybe later..."

But I knew there would not be a later.

There it was.

The end of an era. The end of her innocence. The end of carefree childhood imagination and fantasies. I wanted to cry. I wanted to walk up to those boys and yell at them for being cruel. For crushing her spirit.

I knew that would only make things worse so I excused myself and told her I was going to pop back over to Mr Blue Eyes's party. A party filled with games, sugar coated laughter and fun.

Mr Blue Eyes was all smiles. His happiness placed the smile on my face. Inside, my heart was crying. Sorrow for my Brown Eyed Girl.

Mr Blue Eyes' party ended and I walked back down the hall to 5th Grade. I really wanted to just leave but I had promised her I would return.

I stood at the back of the room and my Brown Eyed Girl noticed my presence. She left her desk and slipped to the back of the room in silence and stood next to me reaching for my hand. She whispered, "Will you help me pin my vale on?"

I stared searchingly into her eyes and slowly found myself shaking my head... no.

I looked deep into her eyes and whispered back to her, "If you aren't going to wear your costume for yourself, you don't have to put part of it on for me. I am happy to be here with you at your party, no matter what you are wearing. Let's just finish the movie - together."

She shook her head and seemed sad. So I added, "Honey, we still have tonight. You can wear your costume at our friends' house and for trick-or-treating. We will have fun later tonight and celebrate Halloween, ok?"

She smiled brighter and I wrapped my arms around her and we stood there finishing the movie, slightly swaying now and then, giving each other silent strength to accept the changes that come with growing up. 


We swept the majority of the day under the rug and enjoyed our traditional Halloween evening with friends. Diner, laughter, too much candy and costumes welcome!

It took me a few weeks to finish this post...

I can't help but fear that this is my last Halloween obligatory photo in front of the front door with both Mr Blue Eyes and my Brown Eyed Girl.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, 

because those who mind don't matter, 

and those who matter don't mind.”

~Bernard Barunch

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

~Oscar Wilde

“Always be a first rate version of yourself 

and not a second rate version of someone else.”

~Judy Garland

“To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.”

~Roy Bennett

“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.”

~Rumi

Fear of Forty

Forty is the age my mother was when she had a daughter in college and another nearly out of high school. Almost an empty-nester. Forty is the age when my grandmother, was told she would be a grandmother. It means, had I started having kids early enough, I too could nearly be old enough to be a grandmother!

Forty is the age of mammograms, fiber supplements, control top underwear and spanx for every occasion. It's the age of knowing people who have been divorced for years and perhaps on second marriages already and some that have had heart attacks or are battling cancer. Forty is an age where many of my friends have started losing or already have lost their parents.

Forty seems so... old.

I approached my upcoming birthday wanting to be a woman prepared. I wanted to enter my forties in the best shape of my life. I have spent the better part of the last two years of my thirties in the gym, striving to chase youthfulness, while being spray tanned in clear hooker heels, wearing a tiny bedazzled bikini and a year supply of makeup at one time.

Long ago I accepted the rapidly duplicating gray hair due to genes I am not fully willing to embrace. I meet with my hair gal regularly. For the first time this last year, I really... really became aware of my wrinkles. I am not quite sure when my crows feet had become ostrich feet. I know this didn't happen over night. All of my fab and forty friends have already taken the plunge. So, I jumped on the Botox band wagon this year.

uhhhh.... forty.

Several of my girlfriends have passed the landmark without the slightest trace of trepidation. I just can't seem to get the irrational fear of forty out of my head.

I was not this afraid of thirty. When you are in your twenties, you kind of get tired of people telling you what to do all the time. You get tired of people not taking you seriously. You look forward to thirty. But forty is undoubtedly adulthood. At forty, it means I am closer to fifty than I am to twenty.

Forty means I am middle-aged.

Is this a mid-life crisis? I mean, I have no desire to buy a sports car or plan on running away to embark on my own version of Eat, Pray, Love. But Forty....

I am truly sad to say good bye to my thirties. I learned so much in my thirties.

Closest to my heart, I learned to be a mother and raise babies in my thirties. I learned to be a better wife, partner and friend and I can honestly say that the last half of my thirties has been the best part of my almost twenty-year relationship with Handy Man. We finally figured out how to effectively communicate with each other in our thirties. We also embraced how much traveling truly is good for our souls and good for our family.

I learned how to stick up for myself in my thirties. I learned how to hold my head high, with confidence, and walk away from a toxic work environment (even though it was a job I adored). I bravely started a brand new career in real estate that has been so amazing for me, my family and our future. I felt pride and new found independence when I bought my very fist car All. By. My. Self.

I have found a kindred group of hard working, amazing moms that have become a core group of my favorite people. I love these women in my life and they have truly been either my roll models or strength behind facing life each and and especially, facing forty.

I learned that I can set big goals, work hard and make dreams come true. In my early thirties I set my sights on someday just finishing a 5K race and a few years ago accomplished the right to call myself a marathon finisher. I fantasized about becoming a fitness competitor. Two years ago, I picked up my first set of weights in a gym and with extreme discipline made that dream a reality.

I feel like I spent the last ten years shaping my life, a life I am so proud of. To embrace forty, I just need to set some new goals and make this next decade amazing.

To be better partners in life, for the rest of our life, I am going to continue to work on my marriage more than any other endeavor. I know we will spend our forties taking control of our finances, and setting up our future as we daydream about retirement. omg "daydream about our retirement..." did I just say that?? see... old, old, old!

With strength and Jesus by my side, I will embrace the teenage years that I will no doubt struggle with in my forties. I pray that I continue to lead them in the right direction and nurture my Brown Eyed Girl and Mr Blue Eyes into successful young adults over the next ten years. Regardless, I just pray that they always know how much I love them and they never stop asking to hold my hand, sit snuggle-close to me on the couch or close each day with, "I love you to the moon and back!"

I want to protect my brain and my body. Read more, learn new things, eat well, make working out a priority each day. I vow to play more and have more fun! Find new adventures we can do as a family. Traveling, camping, four-wheeling, biking, hiking - I have never climbed a 14'er. Travel. Travel. Travel. Maybe in my forties we can do so first class or even Uber a private plane - just once! While I love the Cruise Ship Patty deep inside of me, I'd like to be more curious and less certain. Just get behind the wheel and drive.

I want to make sure to spend more time with my parents, my in-laws, my aunts, uncles and cousins. Maybe that sister trip to England/Ireland/Scotland? Take more time to celebrate - others. Let them know how important they are to me.

I want learn to forgive more easily. I need to be more ready to be wrong. Be careful about what I care so much about. Let go of the things that do not matter, the things and people that wear me down and distract me from all of the things that really truly do matter. Surround my self with kindred spirits and those that help my light shine.

I want to do more of those things I used to love. I want to reclaim the equestrian inside of me, the things that made me feel alive. I want to write more. Have lunches and coffee dates with those who make me smile. Slip away to the movies in the middle of the day and watch the sun rise or set for no special reason other than to admire the beauty.


Writing all of this down, a tear shed here and there...
I want to thank my thirties for giving me the tools to face forty head on and embrace the next decade of my life.

I can't help but think about Tim McGraw's song...

'I think I'll take a moment To 

celebrate my age The ending of 

an era And the turning of a page.'  

My Next Thirty Years

Tim McGraw

With coffee held high this morning, Cheers to 40 - a new chapter and the turning of a page.