Off We Go

It's been a pretty crazy week at casa penelope; besides chasing politicians off my property and figuring out what the heck to do for chris' birthday yesterday, i've also been preparing the fam for our vacation, which starts when the car arrives at 3:30 tomorrow morning. yikes.

don't feel too bad for us; once we get some coffee into us (maybe just some boob into bee), we'll be on our way to sunny florida for american thanksgiving with my american family. hooray!

this will be the first time since my dad moved back to the states almost two years ago that all of my siblings will be there at the same time. So, besides seeing my family, here are the top 5 reasons I can’t wait to shlep all the crap that you need when travelling with a toddler and get on that plane.

1. can you say ‘sleep’? with a gramps (he’s called Big Guy – my neice named him when she was about 2), two aunts, an uncle and an 8-year old cousin right down the hall to entertaintain my daugher at 7am, I’m going back to bed.

2. sun.shine. it’s 29 degree where my dad lives today. It’s 6 degrees where I live. Enjoy the rain, chumps.

3. ross. cheap, dirty and supremely satisfiying (like me!). this messier sister of winners nets the greatest steals in the history of bargain shopping. Last year I got bee and my neice similar ralph lauren tennis dresses for about the price of a grande latte in the t-dot. (ok, I exaggerate. A latte and a biscotti.)

4. the brevard zoo. This quaint destination is just the right size for bee (about a fifth of the size of the toronto zoo), has a giraffe-feeding area, and so far holds her interest so completely that we don’t even have to give going to one of the pricier, more commercial, more obnoxious, more mouse-filled attractions that the area is known for even a flicker of consideration. at least for a couple of more years.

5. southern hospitality. Say what you want about the US (and I often do), the folks where my dad lives are NICE. And they always tell me how cute my kid is, so I like them even more. I can almost overlook the fact that they all voted for george w and sport bumper stickers that say things like ‘god, guts and guns made america.’ (shudder)


so, while I’ll be thinking about y’all (see? It’s like I’m already there) while we’re gone, I probably won’t be checking in. I think you can guess why: dial up. Yep. Me and the internet are going on a break for the next 9 days or so. I might manage to sneak in the odd midnight session, so leave the window open for me just in case. If not, have fun, stay warm and we’ll build a sandcastle for you.