Winter Break in the Sunshine State.

We just returned from a trip to Palm Coast, Florida to visit Theo's Grandpa Marty. This was Theo's second plane ride (Note: I didn't go on my second plane ride until I was 20) and he handled it like a champ. We sang, we read books, we had snacks and all of a sudden we were in Jacksonville. The ride from Jacksonville to Palm Coast took about one hour, and Theo and I napped in the backseat of Grandpa Marty's car.

Once we arrived at Marty's house, in the gated community of Mantzana Beach, we had a relaxing few days, moving at a slower pace than usual, taking our time, forever waiting to see the dolphins (we saw a few at Marineland and Jon and Marty allegedly saw a few in the wild), getting better acquainted with the lovely Aunt Cathy, having dinner with Irene and Richard, strolling through the maze of St. Augustine.

Marty was a gracious host, entertaining Theo to no end with toy cars and boundless energy. And books, lots of books. In fact, we discovered that Theo's favorite book, more than Richard Scary books, more than Yummy Yucky, is Consumer Reports Automobile Guide. You couldn't tear Theo away from the thing. I guess you learn someting new about your kid every day.

Theo, Marty and the Guide:

Enjoying a snickerdoodle at a coffee shop in Flagler Beach:

Theo being cute:

Theo being even cuter:


With so many Regans in Palm Coast, we'll surely return to the Sunshine State soon.