At some point a race organizer had the thought, "Running a 5K is too easy. Wouldn't it be fun to shoot racers with color bombs as they make their way down the course?" Yeah...I'm not even sure how I got recruited for this madness? Oh right, silly Aunt Kelly came up with the idea and wanted to take Jaxon. I was worried she'd lose track of him and volunteered to tag along. Stupid me! Here we are pre-race, all nice & clean.
Now, the afters! Truth be told, I had a blast and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Something tells me that one day Jaxon will cringe in horror when he sees these videos. I, however, think they are delightful examples of grade school fun. The Second graders proudly presented their class musical presentations.
Jaxon was one of the lucky few to score a speaking part. The class follows up with a joyful rendition of "Letuce Entertain You!" Check him out!
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.
The calm before the storm! Within seconds of snapping this picture, the kids took off running in every direction. At lightening speed, they swooped in and snatched what seemed like hundreds of Easter eggs scattered around the school playground. The laughter was infectious, and the smiles were more of a treat than the candy. Well, at least for the parents. I'm pretty sure the kids preferred the candy.
Baylor was so excited to have Jaxon there for the egg hunt. I had explained to Jaxon that he was merely a spectator for this hunt, but Baylor wanted his brother by his side as a "helper." Their bond is so sweet.
This kid didn't need the help! His basket was overflowing, but what fun is a basket of eggs if you don't have a brother to share it with?
They clean up nicely for special occasions, don't they? What was the event? Grandfather's birthday! We treated him to a special birthday dinner at a local fish camp. Great food with an incredible view and a live alligator habitat...Yep, it was a hit with the entire gang!
We debated whether the alligator was real for a solid 20 minutes. Finally, the gator blinked. I think we were all a little shocked. Why? Well, the restaurant is filled with impressive taxidermy, and not just animals native to Florida. We almost felt like we were dining at the zoo! So, we were convinced the gator was just another stuffed animal. Wrong!
The birthday boy also scored a nifty convertible tablet. The grandsons were just a little bit jealous!
I would say that 99.9% of the time, Grant is completely uncooperative when I'm trying to take his picture. How in the world this photographer managed to get EIGHT babies to look at the camera all at the same time is beyond me! The result is truly priceless! Grant's first class picture is adorable!
Then, you've got big bad "Senior" Baylor in the 4-year old VPK program. Time is flying! So proud of the big boy Baylor is becoming!
Grant might be the baby of the family, but he's certainly not about to be shown up by his big brothers. Check out our little soccer star's skills! Just a few more years, buddy, and you'll be able to join in the action on the field!
