surprise!

So Baby Elle’s first “vacation” was a GREAT success! And—it was actually an early birthday “SURPRISE” party for Little Leighton (aka LL aka Biscuit)! With her great-aunt, my two nieces, and four cousins! Plus TLC, Baby Elle and moi. Of course.

Once we unloaded our cRaZy number of bags at our hotel, ice chests and paraphernalia, Friday afternoon, we went over to my sister’s townhome. As we parked in front, LL saw a poster on her front door that said:

 

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

Biscuit!

 

Biscuit read it out loud. With confusion.

LL: “They know another Biscuit? This is a party?”

ELC: No. That Biscuit is YOU, LL!

LL: But this is not my birthday.

(God love her. She was exactly right. Her birthday is not for two more weeks.)

ELC: Well, that’s why this is such a MARVELOUS SURPRISE, Biscuit! This is your very first “SURPRISE!” party!

Once we got inside and the older cousins started her on two scavenger hunts and pin the tail on My Little Pony, she was in HEAVEN. Pure, SWEET Birthday Heaven! I doubt she’ll ever forget this weekend and that’s what TLC and I prayed would happen!

There were two small blips in our little mini vacay. Sigh. ALWAYS, right?

First, we weren’t able to get into our  hotel room early. Which almost never, ever happens to moi. The (young) clerk at the front desk made a couple of unfortunate mistakes—as I tried to check-in. I won’t go into the entire, sad, STUPID experience. Suffice it to say: I had a little chat with an Assistant Manager and ended up with a reduced bill for the 2-bedroom suite. By the way: The original charges were going to be HUGELY ridiculous. I'm talking borderline highway robbery. But, once the young lady (who, I must believe, learned some valuable “public relations’ lessons” that afternoon) snottily and condescendingly tried to explain to me, a 63-year-old woman who has stayed in literally hundreds of hotels in my life, some of their “policies” and issues, including that "Check-in is 3:00." (She then promptly proceeded to check-in two other families BEFORE 3:00...AARRRGGGGHHHHH...while we quietly sat in the dining room watching the time on our iPhones.) the price for the suite became more than reasonable. The Assistant Manager lowered it to what it should have been all along. Not sure I’ll stay there again. Some time will have to pass for me to mull that one over.

The other blip happened at a play performance one of my great-nieces was in. She’s 9—about to be 10. She’d attended a “drama” camp for three weeks and the play was the kids' performance for their families and friends.

It took place at the CUTEST little theater. Baby Elle, who had slept well Friday night in her hotel crib, would have been a good little angel—had we not had to get to the theater 40 minutes early for our seats. And had two nice, but long-winded, young women not spent almost 20 minutes talking about the camp, their other summer programs and their programs during the school year. An hour in our seats prior to the actual beginning of the play proved to be too much to ask of 15-month-old Baby Elle. Her paci, a snack and water did nothing to keep her quiet. I took her down to the ticket booth/snack bar area and we watched the play on a monitor. (I later got to go back with my sister to see the afternoon performance. It worked out perfectly! My oldest great-niece stayed at the hotel with Biscuit and TLC while Baby Elle napped.)

At the end of the second performance, we all met up at my nephew's and niece-by-marriage's (JDub has three of the six gal cousins and is very VERY outnumbered!) home for more play time and a pizza dinner!

Sunday morn we went back to my sister's for an early lunch. Said our goodbyes with major smooches. Then, so TLC would not have to drive me all the way home (two hours) and then drive to her casa (two more hours), My Sweet Hubby (MSH) met us at a place that was mostly on TLC’s way home. He tried to time it where he wouldn’t have to wait too long on us—but it didn’t work. He was at our rendezvous point almost an hour early. TLC and I hated that. He was patient and kind. As always.

MSH and I arrived home, and I was on my davenport, by 4:30.

Chalk one up to a Fabulous Family Weekend of travel, fun, entertainment,  swimming, laughs, endless pictures and many, many stories!

Hope Y’all have a Wonderful Week—wherever in this World you are! (Use all of your Public Relations' Skills when dealing with family, friends and strangers. Seriously. Be kind. And gentle. And PATIENT.)

Love and BIG Hugs,

ELC