return from paradise

i'm still in that loose muscle, fuzzy brain kind of feeling that comes from several days on a tropical island. it goes without saying that it was an amazing experience. our family has never felt so pampered and special. we ate, we drank. and in the end we paid a whopping $62. thank you saab. seriously, thank you saab.

i don't really know how to recap this trip. it was the first time we have flown with children, D's first time in the tropics, and our only experience with truly being waited on hand and foot since being adults. but here are a few observations that will hopefully help us remember in the future. 

• in aruba they don't recycle. this may seem alarming (which it is) but in some sick way it was a nice break from trying to single handedly save the environment.
• if you bring a three and and half year old to a butterfly farm, don't be surprised if you are disappointed with the reaction. she may hold her arm out for the first fifteen minutes begging butterflies to land on her. and then when one does, she may cry and scream until she is shaking to leave. "i just don't like the butterflies landing on me." typical.
• if you are out of the country, be sure that your baby will finally learn to crawl. he obviously didn't receive a memo somewhere along the way.
• somewhere along the way, in our travels, i began referring to our second born as "the baby". i am puzzled and alarmed by this discovery. ex: at a restaurant, "it will be four, three and 'the baby'", etc.
• there is nothing like an american-magnet resort in the caribbean to bring all sorts of body image issues bubbling to the surface. on one hand, you will feel very fit and sexy. on another, much darker and sadder hand, you will feel very pale and saggy and uncool.
•  swimming at night with your young family is about as wonderful as life gets.
• never underestimate the power of some swans, a few lizards and a couple of parrots. this is instant wonderment to a young child, and even the parents.

finally, i don't even know where to begin in adding a picture to this post. there are so many to choose from. i think that in the sake of simplicity, i will leave it at this: