tomorrow - tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow!

In the morning we get on a plane to go back to a place we lived by and loved...

Yeah!  We are returning to Florida!  To temperatures that will be around 88 and 90 degrees the entire week! We will stay by our old neighborhood and enjoy the ease of Hampton Inn the first two nights and then switch over to a Vacation Villa (just like the dozens and dozens of homes that existed in our old neighborhood!) and frolic in the pool out back, play inside on the foosball and pool table, and - as Bryson Jr. excitedly stated 'watch cable TV!'.  That makes it sound like the cable TV that you don't anyone to see!  However, as we don't have a TV that is hooked up to get regular TV stations, my children think that a TV that can bring in any station their little hearts desire is one of the best parts of the vacation!

Then again, when they have the option of watching TV or going to the Magic Kingdom or Sea World...let's hope they pick the last two choices.  If not....I have failed as a parent!!!!  

We plan to drive down to Tampa on Saturday and enjoy a day of this.... {I know it won't look exactly like this, but it will be warm, it will be sunny and it WILL be wonderful!}

And the best news of all - Bryson {Sr.} is actually coming!  One would think that would be easy to assume that the dad comes along on a family vacation - and I thought so too...once upon a time.  However, stories through MBA school of veteran moms of I-Bankers whose husbands never came on the trip, or left early has stayed crystal clear in my mind :)  And so, it wasn't a huge surprise a few weeks ago, that Bryson booked a ticket to come home a few days early from the trip.  He said he couldn't stay away that long, without feeling really guilty that he was missing too much time from the office.  I put on a grin - called my mom and asked her to meet me and the kids in Florida...after all, the show must go on!

Then last week, while I was at the school working on some projects - he texted me with what might have been his famous last words (only kidding!).... 'Stand by.  Looks like the project will kick off, and I might need to stay here'.

Hmmmm.  It's one thing to hear about vacations being canceled for dads in other families - when it's your own family it is the reality you hoped to escape.  Bryson talked to his boss, and the advice he got was 'it's up to you, I never advice anyone to not take a family vacation.  However, this will be a big project and you'll need to be accessible if you go on your trip'.

We talked about the options over the weekend.  And Bryson decided to come along with us.  If he stayed here he knew he would regret not being with us, and that the work might not be as demanding while we are gone (that's laughable, because when is it not demanding....but we were trying to come up with some great reasons of why he should still come!).  Bryson went and told his boss today that he plans to come on the trip, to which the boss stated he thought that was a great choice....but then they talked over some details which left Bryson worried.

I tell you this work is about as crazy as it gets.  Or maybe it's just making us crazy!

So, in the end - Bryson will be with us.  Sort of.  I know that he will physically be flying down with us on Tuesday and that we will see him at some part during the week --- however, already our first day of fun it will be me and the 3 kiddos running down Main Street and through the Castle into Adventure Land....because Dad has a 10am conference call!  However, Prince Charming states he will show up by that afternoon - definitely, for sure!

Well - at least this crazy work pays for us to have fun.  And that hopefully Bryson will get some of the fun and rest he needs too.  After all, all work and no play --- is definitely not the type of life we want!

So long for now --- for the next 9 days I'll be in la-la land where responsibilities are lessened, and the skin will be turning a nice brown color reminding me that it has been way too long cooped up inside during the longest winter of my life(!) and we will have lots and lots of family time and fun together....at least I hope so!