Xcaret, Mexico--"Day Five: So, What's UP with This Sand Stuff, Anyway?"
A quick note: I failed to mention that on Day Four we attempted to take a family bike ride around the resort trails. The bikes were rusty and decrepit, my son's was too big for him really, and the whole thing was kind of a fiasco at first. But, we stuck it out and got in a decent ride. And, most importantly, none of us had to run for a tetanus shot after it was all said and done.
But, if we had, there was a small medical clinic/hospital on our resort grounds, just next to the swim shop! This fact came in handy this past week. I was at a social gathering with "the archenemy" (I swore I wouldn't blog about her again, but here I am...sigh.) The previous time I'd seen her, some friends had asked me about our vacation plans and I told them about going to Mexico. This was around the same time that some family members were very vocal about their concerns about us going to Mexico. She butts in and says, "Yeah, I told my husband about your vacation plans already, but he wouldn't go for that. He said there's just not acceptable medical facilities and he just couldn't imagine going there, because what if one of the kids were injured or sick?" She shot me a quick moment of pleasure in her eyes at the fact that she'd made me look like a careless parent.
So, flash forward to this next meeting, after we got back from the trip. The woman has the nerve to say this EXACT thing to me again, in front of some of the same people mind you. Imagine the gloating look on my face when I said, "Really? There was a wonderfully-equipped hospital within our resort grounds even, so I had no worries at all." (grin)
A BIG discovery on this trip---we were at a beach resort and learned that our kids DO NOT like the beach. So much so that I've already decided the next family trip will be to Disneyworld or a ski slope. Witness, if you will, Photo Exhibit A.
I may LOOK cute, but don't KID yourself. I HATE the beach!
Notice the tension in my daughter's shoulders. The determined way she is sucking her pacifier. This look comes after Mom attempts to walk with her into the water and she screamed for about 10 minutes straight until my husband begged me to take her out of the water and so did the strangers who glared at me annoyingly because of her loud vocals. My son wasn't much better, but we did get this shot.
A Few Minutes of Beach Exploration Before We Packed it in for the Pool
The problem we had with the beach was that it was a fairly small inlet area, not really like along stretch of beach that I'm accustomed to on trips. (I'm spoiled by the gorgeous white sand beaches of Pensacola/Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, where I spent many vacations growing up visiting my Dad's family.) So, the area was small, the water was cold, and there weren't a ton of fish or shells to see at all. My husband rented a snorkel mask for my son to try out, thinking he'd love it. Well, he was so tired by this point of the trip and hated the cold water, that he refused to get it on. The mask was so tight he cried (again very loudly) and refused to even try to put it on loosely and let us tighten it once it was on.
My husband grew annoyed and suggested we just give up and go back to the pool. But, I dug in my heels and attempted again to take my daughter in the water with the same results. So, then I tried letting her sit with me by the water, letting the gentle waves wash the ocean up to her feet. She screamed. Sigh...I just wanted to hang out on the beach, dang-it, since we were at a beach resort. Is that so much to ask? The pools were really cool and very nice, but, hello? We didn't pay an arm and a leg to hang out at a swimming pool which we could do in our own neighborhood. Right?
Finally, I gave up. My husband commented that we'd be washing sand out of our hair and off our body for days after the trip and I told him that I now KNEW where our kids aversion to the beach came from, jokingly blaming the whole failed adventure on him in the end.
One other surprising thing on this trip. The last three nights we were there, my son completely shocked us. The child has been stage-phobic all of his life. He's had two programs a year at his preschool for four years now. The first year, he was so small that I think it did not sink in for him to be terrified. He didn't sing with the rest of his class, but he smiled and looked at all of them singing as if he were a part of the audience. But, by age 3 the phobia was taking hold. He stood on the stage motionless without a smile or much movement at all. The worst was last year, in the fours class, when he began crying and I had to climb over all the parents in my row of chairs to make it to the stage to get him. So, this stage fright thing, it has been getting worse as he gets older. Not a good sign...
Until this trip, that is. So, we noticed after dinner one night there was some live music going on at the concert/stage area in the courtyard. We walked over to listen with the kids. When they finished up, they mentioned that the "Kids Mini Disco" would be starting momentarily, so all kids should join them on stage for some fun. Imagine my shock when my son tugged on my pants asking if he could go. "Of course! Go, go...have fun!"
The next three nights were great entertainment for my husband and me. They would have all the kids join them on stage for a dance number that they'd teach as they'd go. Then, they'd do some sort of competition, like musical chairs, and then end with another dance. The kids won prizes for the contest in the middle.
My son was the only boy that participated, aside from one toddler that wandered up one night. The dads in the crowd knew him by his first name by the last night we were there, as they all rooted for the lone boy to win. (The story of his life...surrounded by girls in school, playgroups, church, etc.)
He did not win. But, it was so fun watching him try to not think about his phobia and enjoy it. He SO wanted to be on stage. But, he couldn't look up much. He mainly looked at his feet, shooting the occasional glance at me looking for my approval. I'd give up a big thumbs up and he'd keep dancing. It was the cutest thing and something I will remember always from this trip, more than the honkin'' big iguanas or the other interesting things we saw.
Speaking of big iguanas, here's the shot I promised you. My son, holding the biggest iguana we saw on the trip. This thing's tail was striped and (you can't tell from the picture) was about 2-3 feet long alone. It was very tame, but I still give my kid props for holding the scaley-ass thing. I wouldn't do it, would you?
My Daring Boy Holds One of Those Honkin' Big Lizards
Tune in tomorrow for the FINAL travel blog entry. That's right folks, after "Day Six: Cool Moments as We Part," it's all over but the crying!
But, if we had, there was a small medical clinic/hospital on our resort grounds, just next to the swim shop! This fact came in handy this past week. I was at a social gathering with "the archenemy" (I swore I wouldn't blog about her again, but here I am...sigh.) The previous time I'd seen her, some friends had asked me about our vacation plans and I told them about going to Mexico. This was around the same time that some family members were very vocal about their concerns about us going to Mexico. She butts in and says, "Yeah, I told my husband about your vacation plans already, but he wouldn't go for that. He said there's just not acceptable medical facilities and he just couldn't imagine going there, because what if one of the kids were injured or sick?" She shot me a quick moment of pleasure in her eyes at the fact that she'd made me look like a careless parent.
So, flash forward to this next meeting, after we got back from the trip. The woman has the nerve to say this EXACT thing to me again, in front of some of the same people mind you. Imagine the gloating look on my face when I said, "Really? There was a wonderfully-equipped hospital within our resort grounds even, so I had no worries at all." (grin)
A BIG discovery on this trip---we were at a beach resort and learned that our kids DO NOT like the beach. So much so that I've already decided the next family trip will be to Disneyworld or a ski slope. Witness, if you will, Photo Exhibit A.
I may LOOK cute, but don't KID yourself. I HATE the beach!
Notice the tension in my daughter's shoulders. The determined way she is sucking her pacifier. This look comes after Mom attempts to walk with her into the water and she screamed for about 10 minutes straight until my husband begged me to take her out of the water and so did the strangers who glared at me annoyingly because of her loud vocals. My son wasn't much better, but we did get this shot.
A Few Minutes of Beach Exploration Before We Packed it in for the Pool
The problem we had with the beach was that it was a fairly small inlet area, not really like along stretch of beach that I'm accustomed to on trips. (I'm spoiled by the gorgeous white sand beaches of Pensacola/Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, where I spent many vacations growing up visiting my Dad's family.) So, the area was small, the water was cold, and there weren't a ton of fish or shells to see at all. My husband rented a snorkel mask for my son to try out, thinking he'd love it. Well, he was so tired by this point of the trip and hated the cold water, that he refused to get it on. The mask was so tight he cried (again very loudly) and refused to even try to put it on loosely and let us tighten it once it was on.
My husband grew annoyed and suggested we just give up and go back to the pool. But, I dug in my heels and attempted again to take my daughter in the water with the same results. So, then I tried letting her sit with me by the water, letting the gentle waves wash the ocean up to her feet. She screamed. Sigh...I just wanted to hang out on the beach, dang-it, since we were at a beach resort. Is that so much to ask? The pools were really cool and very nice, but, hello? We didn't pay an arm and a leg to hang out at a swimming pool which we could do in our own neighborhood. Right?
Finally, I gave up. My husband commented that we'd be washing sand out of our hair and off our body for days after the trip and I told him that I now KNEW where our kids aversion to the beach came from, jokingly blaming the whole failed adventure on him in the end.
One other surprising thing on this trip. The last three nights we were there, my son completely shocked us. The child has been stage-phobic all of his life. He's had two programs a year at his preschool for four years now. The first year, he was so small that I think it did not sink in for him to be terrified. He didn't sing with the rest of his class, but he smiled and looked at all of them singing as if he were a part of the audience. But, by age 3 the phobia was taking hold. He stood on the stage motionless without a smile or much movement at all. The worst was last year, in the fours class, when he began crying and I had to climb over all the parents in my row of chairs to make it to the stage to get him. So, this stage fright thing, it has been getting worse as he gets older. Not a good sign...
Until this trip, that is. So, we noticed after dinner one night there was some live music going on at the concert/stage area in the courtyard. We walked over to listen with the kids. When they finished up, they mentioned that the "Kids Mini Disco" would be starting momentarily, so all kids should join them on stage for some fun. Imagine my shock when my son tugged on my pants asking if he could go. "Of course! Go, go...have fun!"
The next three nights were great entertainment for my husband and me. They would have all the kids join them on stage for a dance number that they'd teach as they'd go. Then, they'd do some sort of competition, like musical chairs, and then end with another dance. The kids won prizes for the contest in the middle.
My son was the only boy that participated, aside from one toddler that wandered up one night. The dads in the crowd knew him by his first name by the last night we were there, as they all rooted for the lone boy to win. (The story of his life...surrounded by girls in school, playgroups, church, etc.)
He did not win. But, it was so fun watching him try to not think about his phobia and enjoy it. He SO wanted to be on stage. But, he couldn't look up much. He mainly looked at his feet, shooting the occasional glance at me looking for my approval. I'd give up a big thumbs up and he'd keep dancing. It was the cutest thing and something I will remember always from this trip, more than the honkin'' big iguanas or the other interesting things we saw.
Speaking of big iguanas, here's the shot I promised you. My son, holding the biggest iguana we saw on the trip. This thing's tail was striped and (you can't tell from the picture) was about 2-3 feet long alone. It was very tame, but I still give my kid props for holding the scaley-ass thing. I wouldn't do it, would you?
My Daring Boy Holds One of Those Honkin' Big Lizards
Tune in tomorrow for the FINAL travel blog entry. That's right folks, after "Day Six: Cool Moments as We Part," it's all over but the crying!
posted by Crazy MomCat @ 2:18 AM
2 Comments:
Ha ha, take that Archenemy!!! And way to go, Ryan! (I can't help thinking of the Dirty Dancing resort and their different dance activities... "Nobody puts 'Baby' in the corner")
That is so funny that you mentioned "Baby." I just watched the E True Hollywood Story about the making of Dirty Dancing. I still can't get over Jennifer Grey with the new nose. She's just not Ferris's sister or Baby anymore now!
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