Fort Wilderness

The primary reason we participate in Scouting would have to be the opportunity to go camping with friends. I'm sure that statement surprises some of you. You probably thought I would say something about the Pinewood Derby! As much as all the boys enjoy the Derby, camping is definitely the best part of being a Scout, and our Pack's Disney camping trip has to be the highlight of the year. Fort Wilderness is great, but honestly, Disney excels at just about everything they offer.

While most of our Pack was "roughing it" in tents on the manicured grounds of Fort Wilderness, we were spending our weekend in a cabin. Anh says I can't call it camping when we're staying in a cabin, but I beg to differ. Four adults and 3 children in a 1-bedroom cabin is far from luxury. It's as close to camping as I'm getting with a 1-year old in tow! Grandfather & Grandma joined us as well, and I know for a fact they much preferred the cabin to roughing it in tents as they had done a year before when they escorted the boys alone.

While there's only 1 bedroom, the cabin is set up to hold a large group. The bedroom has both a double bed and bunk beds, and the living room has a murphy bed that folds down from the wall. Throw in a portable crib and we were all quite comfy.

Forget the beds, it's the luxury of having a private bathroom that really makes the camping experience luxurious!

Grant's attempt to claim the murphy bed! Not happening, kid!

It wouldn't be Disney if there wasn't an awesome pool, and Fort Wilderness does not disappoint. There's an elaborate playground complete and a waterslide!

And, there's always Dad!

And campfires for roasting s'mores! S'mores!!!

I was a little worried about how Grant would handle the experience, but he really enjoyed himself immensely. Not only did he score new Chip & Dale Chipmunk babies...

He met the real deal!!! He liked them, but didn't want them to touch him.

Even without a visit to the parks, Disney magic was in full effect!

The Breakers

Pulling up to The Breakers in Palm Beach for our Spring Break getaway felt like the opening scene of an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous! It's truly impressive and just oozes opulence. I can see why Manhattan's elite consider Palm Beach their playground, and The Breakers is their home away from home.

Given the impressive wheels rolling through the driveway, I guess it's quite a compliment when they park your ride up front on full display. Seemed like a picture-worthy moment.

The resort is breathtakingly beautiful. The architecture and fine furnishing really set the stage and reiterate that you are in another world. Of course, when you look over and see Emeril Lagasse strolling through the main corridor, you're also reminded that beauty often comes with a hefty price tag. You only live once, right?! Oh, and you can't take it with you!

That's what we told ourselves when I made the reservation, at least! The boys loved the room, and I couldn't stop gazing out at the cerulean blue ocean. At some point, I did manage to leave our balcony, but it was tough.

I'm not sure there is an adjective that appropriately describes the grounds except to say that they are impeccably groomed. Their landscaping crew must be obsessive-compulsive because blade of grass looks like it's cut by hand. The flower beds are as artistically arranged as the floral arrangements that adorn every table and counter of the hotel. No, it isn't cheap to stay at The Breakers, but the maintenance bills for this place must be ginormous!

We didn't really explore much of Palm Beach. There simply were too many activities at the resort to justify leaving. If we weren't at the playground, then possibly, we were hanging out in the family activity center with it's arcade and activity rooms. The options were endless: arts & crafts, science experiments, a playroom bursting at the seams with toys, and of course, the arcade.

We spent mornings by the pool, and the boys enjoyed a round of golf one day.

Plus, the activities staff had a full weekend of Easter entertainment. Jaxon and Baylor participated in a glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunt. Talk about excitement! Watching the children disappear onto a pitch-black golf course. As they gathered glowing eggs, I couldn't help wondering if they would all make it back. Would the parents be hunting children shortly? It all ended well, thankfully. Along the way, we met a family visiting from Spain. Their younger son had taken a liking to Jaxon which resulted in an invitation for us to visit them at their home on the coast of Spain. Hmmm...let me check my calendar. I'm pretty sure we're available!

On Easter Sunday, a special guest made an appearance. Grant wasn't a fan! Oh well, at least Santa will know it's not personal now.

Shortly before Noon, the weekend's main event took place, the Grand Easter Egg Hunt.  Families gathered on the main lawn, and the children were lead with their age group to various spots around the resort. In total, there were over 10,000 (Yes, TEN THOUSAND!) eggs to be collected.

I could never adequately describe the spectacle of the egg hunt. You simply have to watch this video and see it for yourself. Mayhem! Pure mayhem!!! The children all dressed in adorable outfits sprint to fill their baskets. Several are followed by nannies who seem to have been instructed to carry the excessive number of eggs. Oops! Must remember to hire a nanny in time for next year's egg hunt. My poor kids, they had to go it alone.

As you can see, they did alright! Happy Easter!!!

Character Counts

When debating what to do on a beautiful, balmy February day, playing in a giant hamster ball isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, sometimes it's best to embrace the unexpected! Participating in the inaugural 3K/6K Character Counts race benefiting our new school, has been on the calendar for weeks. We just didn't realize it would become a full-day affair with such a wide variety of activities. First up, the hamster wheels. The boys made it look easy. I didn't dare try it myself. I need to be able to show my face around the school for several more years.

Now, hold on to your stomachs. Booger Wars was up next! Similar to football, but you throw beanbag boogers to your team mates that must be crammed up your goal's nostril. Oh yes, it was delightful to watch. It's probably best that Booger Wars followed the hamster balls. I would hate to imagine the reverse. The inside of the hamster ball could get messy after all that visual imagery.

By comparison, laser tag seemed mild! The boys ran themselves silly, and I worried they wouldn't have any gas left for the actual race.

The turnout was impressive. It's great to know that we have so many active and involved families supporting our new school. It really demonstrates that we have a caring network of parents that appreciate what an asset the school is for our children and the community as a whole.

We elected to run the 3K. I used the excuse of the children not being able to complete a 6K, but I'm fairly certain I would have been the one laying down in the middle of the road crying in misery had we decided to attempt the 6K.  That distance will have to remain a bucket list item for now. One day...

The boys really gave it their all. We gave Jaxon permission to run ahead of us rather than crush his competitive spirit by forcing him to wait for us slow pokes. Aunt Kelly was supposed to try to keep him within her eyesight, but even she proved to be no match for our little speed demon. Baylor really pushed himself through to the finish line. At times, he was definitely dragging, but the strategic placement of cute cheerleaders really worked to our advantage. Just when we would resign ourselves to carrying Grant so we could load Baylor into the stroller, cheerleaders would magically appear on the sidelines and boost Baylor's spirit. Yep, he's all boy!

Jaxon crossed the finish line and greeted us with a smug grin as we finally jogged his way a good 10+ minutes later.  What can I say? We can only do better in the future. Well, unless we decide to sit and have a picnic lunch along the way.

In the end, we were all still smiling! Well, until we realized we still had a long walk home!