Spring Things in Florida
Updated: Apr 11, 2021
Mommy & Me classes, Easter, and more!
BTW: I did not do any Easter bunny decor. So if you were wondering where all of that was...it was non-existent. Eventually, I will get into decorating our new place, but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of style/mood I want to create for our home (yes, I'm on Pinterest).
How I've Been Doing, Really...
Sometimes, I have little moments that I miss NY terribly. Naturally, I miss our family and friends, and thankfully we have the technology to stay in touch as we continue to do throughout the pandemic. I'm glad that they are just a phone call, text, or FaceTime away. On nights that I had trouble sleeping (in NY), I would gaze out my window to see the buildings' lights twinkle for a few minutes. It soothed me. A few nights ago, I couldn't get my mind to relax, so I went to look out the window of our new home, and for some reason, I was expecting to see the twinkling city lights. While I saw the suburbs instead and was briefly sad, I noticed a pleasant stillness. This was new for me, and to my surprise, my mind did relax, and I went to bed a few minutes later.
I've had a bit of a challenge socializing. I went from (pre-pandemic) seeing friends and family nearly every day of the week to the pandemic/quarantine (as most of the world has), then to doing the Florida move, where we don't really know anyone in our new town. B has his work colleagues and has joined a couple of tennis clubs. I'm very happy for him, but we just socialize differently, which is totally ok. Yes, I adore hanging with Mason all day, and I'm so thankful for having each day with my son. Still, sometimes I just need a conversation that doesn't involve singing a song from CoComelon or explaining what a triangle is versus a circle. I'm glad that I've met other moms at the playground or the beach. Yet, it's tough to get to know each other because our kids are running in different directions. And in cases that our kids are the same age (roughly 20M), that means they do not care if we say, "Please don't run into the bushes," or "Ah, that's not our stroller, please don't climb it." So we have a conversation in two-minute increments at most before one of us is chasing after our little one.
I decided to be a bit more proactive about socializing (safely) and joined a Mommy & Me class session. It's a small group (8 kids, ages 15-24M) that meet once per week for six weeks. Same kid and same parent for every class. We've had a couple of classes so far, and it's been so fun for both of us. On our first day, I got Mason ready as if it was the first day of school. I walked through what we were doing, where we were going, and who would be there. In a way, I was preparing myself for this day, too. Mason absolutely loves seeing other kids. He often smiles and sometimes waves at other kids when we're out of the apartment. It was great to see him enjoy being around kids closer to his age. It was reassuring to also be around other moms who are in the same stage as me of wanting to have a conversation but having to keep an eye on the little ones. So sometimes, when our kids are playing near one another, we get to have those chats. I've found it to be what I need and what I can handle at this time. Plus, it's a different kind of play with Mason at our Mommy & Me class. For that hour and a half, we have entirely uninterrupted playtime together.
Side note: I'm taking my first tennis lesson over the weekend - be sure to check out my IG stories...I'm super nervous!
The Grandparents' First Visit
We're coming upon our second month in Florida, and we've had a few visitors. Our parents came to visit - not all at the same time - over one week. They're all vaccinated, which is even better! Harvey was so happy to see them, too. They gave him all the love and belly rubs, so he was a very cheery pup. Over that week, we did a lot from showing them our new neighborhood, plenty of sunny pool and beach time, and great meals together. B and I even had our first date night as in just the TWO of us - since 2019! We enjoyed dinner overlooking a golf course and pond. When the waitress came over, I told her that it was our first date night in a couple of years. She responded, "Ooo, ok, so you need some wine! Red or white?" Turned out that she has two kids (all grown-up now), so she empathized and I greatly appreciated it. After dinner we headed over to another restaurant for dessert and coffee looking over the water. It was a beautiful night out for us!
For Easter, we went to an Easter Egg Hunt on the beach. The beach was broken up into a few sections, each broken up by age (we were in the three years and under group). This was Mason's first-ever egg hunt, and my little honey got two Easter eggs in total. He was quite stunned at all of the kids running for eggs and preferred to simply observe. He got one egg from his own "hunting" and the other from an act of kindness: an older toddler shared one of his eggs, and while plopping it into Mason's basket, the boy said, "Happy Easter!" and returned to his family. HOW SWEET!! We thanked the boy for sharing, and soon after, Mason ran straight for the ocean.
Mason's love for the ocean is insane. As I explained in my previous post, the beach is (still) my favorite place to bring him. I know it's an odd thing to project, but there is something extraordinary between Mason and the ocean. Even when the waves come rushing in, he only wants to keep going into the water even further; zero fear. I'm thrilled that he loves the water so much. And as a mother, this terrifies me, and I'm constantly worrying about his safety, so we always hold his hands upon approaching the water. Of course, being in Easter attire didn't stop Mason from entering the ocean that day, and it didn't stop me either. I held onto his basket, and off we went! He was literally the only kid in the sea. We loved it. Besides, clothes can always be washed, and we are in Florida, so the pants part of my jumpsuit dried very fast. Next year, I'll just be sure to put him in swim shorts.