we got back yesterday morning from panama city beach, florida. we were gone for one glorious, sun-filled, sand-encrusted, wave-lapping week. it was delicious. every morning i would wake up and go out to the deck of our 23-story condo and look out over the ocean. i saw some sting rays combing the shallows, there were dolphins, and a few jelly fish out and about amongst the early birds at the beach. the only sounds were that of the wind and the waves hitting the shore. if i close my eyes i can almost hear its sound over my neighbor’s band practice….

i was a little concerned that ella would be freaked out by the ocean and scream and carry on. quite the contrary! she kept me on my toes seeing how she would run right into the water all by her big girl self. crazy kid. who needs mommy when i can do it all by myself? no bother that waves could knock her down; fear is for sissies! she would barely tolerate me holding on to her hands, but would acquiesce if pulled her around so she could “swim”. it was all very cute. then i tried putting her in a big bird floaty thing, but she wanted nothing to do with it. i think she has very particular tastes for a nineteen month old, but who am i to talk?

being on and around the beach for a week has given us a lovely warm glow. i’m enjoying it while i can because i know my pasty white skin will shortly make its return. in the meantime, i’ll offset my glow with my raging cold that i got from ella. i’m getting no sympathy from my coworkers, mind you. gone for a week in florida, and now you got a cold? awww. too bad.

tony had to take ella in to the doctor’s today to get her checked out. she has an ear infection in addition to her cold, poor boo. she was showing the signs late last week, but i was hoping that it was just my imagination. no luck. and now that she’s older and wiser, she has an aversion to the doctor and all related medical supplies. tony and i have to take off her shirt, hold her arms down, and practically force open her mouth to get her to take her medicine. she see’s the dropper and runs the other way. then when we manage to get it into her mouth, she spits it out. she’s quite clever. so if you have any suggestions short of intravenous injections, let me know.

i’m back to making my lunch and going to bed at a reasonable hour. no more eating out. no more beach. no more sand in my ear. no more karoake bars. no more sunscreen.

my vacation is officially over.