We have a busy week ahead of us, starting with a birthday party tomorrow evening and ending with another session at My Family Dinners on Saturday.

I feel as though I have hit a stride with keeping the home life organized and not too overwhelming. Of course whenever we start the bedroom/ bathroom remodel that could all change. I guess I am glad I am putting into place certain organizational skills for myself now so I can keep a sense of peace when the dust starts to fly.

I imagine even people in drug rehabs learn some skills to keep their inner peace. Mine happens to be keeping lists and realizing there are some things I can’t control. (And I get more done when I wear an apron.)

I’m almost ready for tomorrow. I have to go make my list now.

I took Fuller to the playground this evening. Our friends Esther, Luke, and Ben came over and Esther and I got to catch up while Luke and Fuller played together. They don’t really play together as much as they play near each other, but I think that is on par with their ages. (Luke turns two on Tuesday!)

While we were there Fuller and Luke took to playing with the mulch like it was sand. For a little bit they were throwing it at each other. We got them to stop and then they just started piling it on things, and sifting it through their fingers. When we left Fuller said his hand hurt. It looked like he had an inch long splinter in the palm of his hand.

When we got home Damon helped with attempted removal by telling Fuller we were playing “operation.” Fuller cried and hollered. We finally realized there was no splinter but he had cut his hand at some point and failed to be upset by the owie.

A Spider-Man band-aid helped him stop crying and I know now I need to be better about letting Fuller play with the mulch. It can be an owie in the making.

When Damon and I were in Orlando we encountered some rain. It rained twice while we were at the Islands of Adventure. We ducked into a restaurant the first time and the second time we got in line for stunt show, The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad. It was a pleasant show, about twenty minutes in length, long enough for the rain to pass.

A few days later some major storm system moved across Florida and wrecked some Orlando real estate. I was really glad we weren’t there when that happened, but I was saddened for the families who were displaced by the storm. I think at the time I saw the footage on the news they were trying to determine if it was an actual tornado that ripped through the neighborhood.

I wonder if we will get some rain here in Chattanooga this week?

While our hotel at the Royal Pacific Resort was really nice, I did notice it was really geared toward people who were there to just spend the night and spend most of the day off at the parks. It wasn’t like a Mendocino bed and breakfast where you are encouraged to spend time at the location. They know you are there to be at the parks.

Sure it had a very nice lagoon pool and some shops. I think there was a spa too… but over all they didn’t pressure us to stay at the hotel and just spend time there. If we were there for more than one night, we might have spent some time at the pool or ate at one of their restaurants.

The bed was comfortable (King sized!), the TV was big, and the mini bar was well stocked (not that we used it). I liked the bathroom, where the sink was separate from room with the toilet and shower. I was most impressed with the lighting- which had dimmer switches and actual switches on the wall when you walked in.

We did have Spider-Man wake us up with a wake up call in the morning. Damon took that call so I have no idea what Spidey said.

I would recommend the Royal Pacific Resort if you were going to Orlando for Universal fun.

It is the conundrum of every parent- you desire for your little ones to remain little and cute. And yet you can’t wait to see them grow because every day they change in some amazing way and you wonder what amazing thing will happen in the next minute. Earlier this week it was Fuller’s swimming. Today it was his imagination.

This afternoon Fuller declared, “I flying!” and started zooming around the room with his arms stretched out. It was funny, but I decided it needed a little extra something.

When we went to Islands of Adventure, Damon took a cape and mask to wear when he had a photo opp with the super heroes on Marvel Super Hero Island. It was still on the dining room table, so I put the mask and cape on Fuller.

Do you think he had some fun?

It just tickles me to see Fuller grow in this way. He plays imaginatively often- having conversations for his cars or plastic people, building houses for the cars, and creating his little world for play. Seeing him expand that play to situations he can put himself into is exciting. He is growing in an amazing way. And I can’t wait to see what he dreams up tomorrow.

I made an error earlier when I mentioned Damon and I would be staying at the Portofino Bay Hotel on the Universal Resort. When we were traveling up I-95 I looked at the confirmation information that Damon had printed and it clearly said, “Thank you for choosing the Royal Pacific Resort.”

The truth was Damon knew he had reservations at one of the hotels, but he didn’t remember which one. When he looked at the website (not his email, obviously) he thought he had made reservations at Portofino Bay. And he was so excited about the Italian influence of the hotel, only to find we would be staying at a hotel with a South Pacific flair.

It didn’t really matter to me… it was a beautiful hotel and I liked the South Pacific theme. It doesn’t mean we cross off heading to Hawaii or Australia off our life to-do list… it doesn’t replace the real thing.

Someday we will travel to Australia… I just know it. We will be able to find Sydney Hotels pretty easily.

Up near the North Sydney Hotels we could face the famous Opera House. And maybe instead of just a photo opp, I could convince Damon to head to an actual opera.

If Fuller is with us, we can find out where Nemo hung out in the harbor (LOL!). There are Darling Harbor Hotels near the aquarium (is Nemo there?) or the Maritime Musuem.

For now, I am happy with the recent treat of staying at the Royal Pacific Resort. It was a beautiful hotel and a nice get away for just the two of us. Someday we will stretch our traveling legs and go further over the ocean.