Disney World!

So, the reason the blog has been quiet lately is that we've been to...Disney World! Rachel was so excited to see Valerie at the resort where Darryl and Daniella have a timeshare. Those two were completely adorable the entire week. Some highlights:

--They spent most of their time playing with we adults in the resort's two pools -- one of which featured a pirate ship; the other of which had a great water slide that Drew and I took liberal advantage of (we loved the rush of swishing down; it was addictive). We ate breakfast in the condo after buying basic groceries, and then lunch and dinner at the resort's grill. I tried several alcohol-infused beverages during the time we were there, and each one gave me a nice, comfortable buzz for the afternoon. The weather was perfect; it was raining when we got there, but then the weather cleared up fast and by Thursday (the day we were scheduled to leave), it was in the mid-80s. I lay out in the sun, went in the pool and played with Rachel and Valerie (I was a monster at one point and Valerie was delighted when I kept growling, "To the shippy!" as a way of dragging her and Rachel to the pirate ship), read from my vast collection of New Yorker magazines, went in the water again, went back out to read...you get the idea. For the first time in a long time, I really tried to just be present and in the moment. And for the most part, it worked.

--The resort had all sorts of activities, but they weren't cheesy or overbearing. They had a magic show the first night, and Rachel and Valerie spent most of the vacation practicing the tricks they'd learned. (And Darryl has mastered a perfect imitation of his daughter: "Can I tell you a joke? You wanna hear a joke?"). On two other nights, they had a campfire and s'mores, and Drew and Darryl got to help the girls roast marshmallows. There was a different guy who played acoustic guitar each night, and the combination of the guitar, the s'mores, the gorgeous sunset and the balmy air was incredibly relaxing and soothing. I didn't realize how much my spirit needed that.

--One night they had a "Downtown Abbey" event -- it was the last episode of the season, and the staff had baked some fancy little cakes and offered tea for guests to watch the show in the big communal TV room. It was lovely, and I got to bring several of the desserts back to our rooms, which Darryl, Drew and Daniella enjoyed.

--The last night we ate at a very good restaurant, the Bonefish Grill, and I was able to top off the meal with chocolate creme brûlée. Fabulous! We all ate well, but because Drew and I were so busy chasing the girls in the water during the day, neither of us seems to have gained any weight. Fingers crossed that we can keep up this trend...