Firstly I have to apologise for not cracking on with this report! I am determined to finish it though as I want us all to be able to refresh the memories later and I hope that all of you will get a taste of a very different Florida holiday.
I am also spurred on by Geoffa as I loved reading his reports so much it is shameful that I cannot finish mine! so I am doing this for him too...what an inspiration and I will miss those reports.
We also travel back in 30 days and I want to do a report again, but this time I will go back to doing it daily as everyday life just gets in the way too much on our return.
Anyway enough of my waffling...I am lucky that from about day 5 I did write up the notes daily, I have now caught up with the missing few days so I aim to get a day posted every day... hopefully!
Hope you enjoy reading
So those first night challenges! I woke up at 1.50am (most unfortunately!) and I stayed in bed counting sheep until 3am when I gave up. I went out into the kitchen as quietly as possible and made a cup of tea with the Winn Dixie tea bags and just managed to sit down and drink that before Grace arrived next to me as quiet as a mouse.
Grandad made plenty of tea and he also made Grace some toast ... needed something to keep us going.
I had caught up with my emails and seen that AA had raised a case (no pun intended) for the 2 missing cases and it said their expected time of arrival was 6.30am! Now I know they could see them in Charlotte and that they were coming down on the next flight last night but I couldn't believe they would be here that early!
Grace and I (well Grace really) emptied out the cupboards with all the games in them and I had a look through the books that were there and had a flick through the villa file. Nothing new really just remembering when trash day was and seeing if there are any new restaurant recommendations.
Nanny soon arrived at 4am, she had been awake a little while but hadn't heard us so had stayed in bed and Grandad another half hour later. The tea by the way was not a bad substitute if your desperate (we were!) but not perfect...
Daddy was up at 5.20 (he is always last) as I was by that time moving around unpacking some more and not quietly! It was made clear that when I crashed out somewhere between 2 and 3pm he was in charge of Grace lol.
I filled everyone in on the suitcases and we had left instructions with the airline to leave them on the doorstep if we were out and we also agreed we were not going to have them delivered at 6.30am anyway so we decided to go out to breakfast as originally planned. And come straight back and do our big Walmart shop tomorrow morning.
We got ready and were out the door at 6.20am, glad to be back on the familiar drive to our now usual first morning restaurant. Bob Evans is where we were heading and it's just a short 20 minute drive away. We went in and there was one other person seated but that was it, well what do you expect at that time on a Sunday morning
We were told we could sit anywhere so we chose our "usual" table a round one at the far end near the window...it felt really good to be back! The lady who was serving us then came to see if we wanted coffee and do you know she actually remembered us from last year! Amazing as I didn't recognise her at all but everyone else did. How nice to be remembered ...could be for the wrong reasons though I suppose ha ha.
We all ordered coffee (me a de-caf to be awkward which she had to put on for me) and Grace had an apple juice. Apologies but I have not written down what we had and I really can't remember! I know that we had a free short stack of pancakes coupon so Grace had those with extra chocolate chips. I had an omelette and so did Grandad but that's all I can remember.
Everyone enjoyed, even Grace ate all of hers...big success. We drink a lot of coffee and the server was very good at keeping us topped up..she even said she wished she could leave the coffee pot with us (so did we!) but she couldn't..too hot, health and safety I suppose.
We left the restaurant with full tummies and very happy indeed. we arrived back at home at 8.15 (no cases on the doorstep) and went straight in that pool.
Sun loungers in place, pool toys emptied from the garage and happy times commenced! We did encounter a very light shower which only lasted 10 minutes but didn't stop our fun.
I kept checking my phone to see when the suitcases were out for delivery and eventually it said they were, yippee. Poor Nanny and Grandad didn't have any swim suits you see. Grandad was wearing a pair of shorts which he could go in the pool in but he was waiting it out until he knew the others were on their way. This lifted us once we knew they were coming not that we were really fussed but it was nice to know they were coming.
I then had a call on my phone and it was a USA call so we assumed this was the cases guy. I picked up but he didn't connect and I couldn't understand why he didn't ring the villa as I checked and we did give them that number. Anyway Daddy was brave and he phoned the number that had rung my phone from the villa phone and he picked up. The guy was called Herb and was in Cape Coral and so was about an hour away still but was on his way. He arrived at 2pm and apologised for being so late as he doesn't normally do this on a Sunday and he was in church this morning so later coming out...bless...what a nice job too everyone must be so happy to see him lol.
After he had phoned,Grandad was straight in that pool! We had had lovely weather today we were very lucky, Nanny came in for a swim too and we enjoyed our time in the pool together. Yesterday on the plane Grace had eaten an apple that Grandad had given her and it really moved her slightly wobbly tooth...it was now very wobbly and this was her first one ever to fall out. Loads of her friends in class have lost loads but Grace was doing a sterling job of hanging on to hers. I keep telling her the longer she can keep the baby ones the better! Anyway, super wobbling all day today and she disappeared in to the bathroom and came out with it in her hand! She had gone in there and pulled it out! Clever girl! We were very pleased that it had not spent all holiday hanging on by a thread!
Soon after I went in for a shower, that early morning catching up with me! The weather outside was still gorgeous but we had to get moving before we all crashed out! Everyone followed and we were soon back in the car and driving to Grandad's favourite restaurant and where is now the first night tradition, Longhorns. This is a stones throw from Bob Evans that we went to this morning and there are a few here and around the Mall in Port Charlotte.
The car was saying it was 100F...so hot! You know it's hot but you sort of forget how hot that actually feels when you are there...phew!
We were sat in a booth after no wait as it was practically empty and started to look at the massive menu. Grace had the mini fillet steak from the kids menu and I had the shrimp skewer with rice. Daddy had the salmon fillet which was massive and Nanny had Tilapia. Grandad always has a Flo's fillet with mash. We did order starters (which we probably didn't need!) Green fried tomatoes (delicious) and the Texas Tonion...if you have never had this go there and order it! We also had the salad and gorgeous bread, by the time we were finished we were stuffed. Nanny was the only one who ordered dessert a peanut butter pudding and Grace helped her, where they put it I have no idea!
We then came straight home it was 6.30pm and Grace was on her knees, I put her to bed and she was asleep by 7pm, she had been in the pool for most of the day so I am not surprised.
We all sat outside for a bit but we did not last long. We had had a lovely first day, tomorrow we would food shop first and go from there.
Thanks for reading along