After four days in Orlando, we were all excited to continue on with our trip. We had a great time in Orlando but it is definitely a hectic place and we were pretty much always on the go. On Tuesday we packed up and headed out on the 2 hour drive to Longboat Key. This was our 3rd year heading down there, our first trip Parker was just 9 months old and last year just 21 months old and I was pregnant with Flynn. We stay at the same beach house every year that L's dad and step mom rent each April, and we feel very lucky to be able to use it for part of that month each year.
Again, a lot of these photos are from our iPhones, some are from my Canon Elph and some from my DSLR. They are also a bit unorganized because of combining all three cameras, and my laziness. :)
We arrived around lunch time so we stopped for a bite to eat at one of our favorite places before we got to the house, The Old Salty Dog.
After lunch we headed right to the house. I could never get tired of this view!
We got Parker down for a nap and were able to relax for a little bit on the deck which was nice.
The weather had been cooler in Orlando but it was the perfect warm beach weather in Longboat.
Meme left Parker some sand toys which he was excited to find.
Flynn lounging by the pool.
Flynn heading out for his first swim in the Gulf!
Flynn loves bath time so we figured he would probably like swimming, and he definitely did.
Parker was a little unsure around the water last year but it was definitely not the case this trip!
He enjoyed hunting for treasures in the water.
Parker's first ocean swim of the trip.
He loved the waves!
Flynn worked on his sitting skills.
On Wednesday night we drove to St. Petersburg to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
It was Parker & Flynn's first baseball game and Yankees game!
We were able to walk right up and purchase our tickets. We were able to get seats next to the aisle which was necessary with the million times we had to walk in and out with either Flynn or Parker without having to disturb everyone. We were surrounded mostly by Rays fans(obviously) but they were all very friendly and welcoming.
The game started at 7:05pm so it was definitely a little risky being an hour away from our place and messing around with our normal nighttime routine but really they were just awesome.
I mean it probably helped that Parker was all hopped up on candy and popcorn and other special treats, but he was so good and he watched a lot of the game too which we were not sure he would do.
Flynn took a little snooze.
We ended up leaving before the start of the 9th inning just so we were able to get out of there easily with our little crew. It was another late night but we were on vacation after all and everything worked out, although I will never understand how kids can go to bed at like midnight and still be up at the crack of dawn but anyways....
My mom left on Thursday but before she left to go back to Vermont we had to have lunch at Columbia to have their famous salad, yum!
Heading down to the pool, covered in SPF 50.
Almost every evening we would go out for an early dinner so we could come back and spend some time on the beach. It worked out well because we didn't have to worry about the boys getting too much sun and it was so peaceful at that time of day.
Flynn's wind blown hair.
Parker has almost limitless energy these days. Chasing the birds up and down the beach was one of his favorite activities.
Like I mentioned above, we definitely were more relaxed about our evening schedule while on vacation, which meant bed time ended up being much later most nights. Therefore, Flynn took a lot of evening naps to tide him over until it was time for bed.
Looking at sea creatures.
Boys.
This is why we delayed bedtime...the sunsets there are amazing.
Heading to the pool.
"Driving the firetruck!" One of Parker's favorite songs from school right now is the firetruck song. He sang it all over Florida.
Flynn had been rolling from his tummy to his back every once and a while for a few weeks before our trip, and during our trip mastered rolling from his back to tummy. So then he was able to roll all over the place. So much for our idea of having him lay by the pool while we swam!
Target visit!
Napping on the go.
Naps at the house were a bit challenging because Flynn prefers to nap while moving(car/stroller) but Lucas was able to get him down successfully quite a few times.
Our favorite meal of the trip happened to be at Tommy Bahamas. The food was great like always, but the best part? Flynn napped the entire time in his stroller(he usually wakes up once it stops moving) and Parker was happy to play with his vehicles quietly the entire time. It almost felt like we were there alone. ;)
We had some amazing food on this trip, but one of my favorite things had to be the Macarons at Le Macaron on St. Armand's Circle. I can't even explain how amazing they are. I am not a big sweets person, I mean I like them but I much prefer savory foods if I have to choose. . I am not a macaron conissieur or anything, but these macarons, they were perfection.
Parker also enjoyed their mango gelato!
Our sleeping arrangements were of course a little interesting on our trip. The house has two rooms, one with a king sized bed and one with two twin beds. On our previous trips Parker slept happily in his pack n play in the guest room and we stayed in the master bedroom. Now that he sleeps in a big boy bed we planned on having him sleep in one of the twin beds, and we would stay in the master bedroom with Flynn in there in his pack n play. Well I guess that was wishful thinking.
Parker actually has a queen sized bed at home because we ended up giving him our bed when we upgraded ours to a king. So he is used to having lots of room and also has bed rails. We tried putting pool noodles underneath his sheet on each side of the bed(totally saw that idea on Pinterest somewhere), but they didn't stay very well and of course Parker fell out on the first night(he likes to lay horizontally which posed some issues). So once my mom left(she slept in there with him before) Lucas stayed in the other twin bed and Flynn was having nothing to do with the pack n play, so he slept with me. Romantic right?! Anyway, long story short, this was Lucas' view one morning...
A visit to the Dry Dock, another one of our favorites places to eat.
This is what happens when your baby has an explosive diaper at a restaurant, and you don't have a spare outfit...
More gelato!
The beach snails(we think that is what they were!) were writing letters in the sand. Parker found a P!
Sand dollars are fairly easy to find here, especially when the tide is low. Parker was very excited about them!
When we asked Parker what his favorite part of our trip was, he said "the beach showers!".
Breakfast at the Blue Dolphin Cafe.
Bluefin Crab eggs benedict. I had this last year and this year, it is amazing!
For the 2nd year in a row, we met up with my blog friend Kristin and her daughter Elle! Kristen is expecting their second baby, a boy, in July!!
Elle and Parker are just a couple of weeks apart in age, and played so well together.
She is going to be such a great big sister!
"I'm riding the dolphin!!"
At our last meal out before we headed back home.
After traveling for almost 10 days, we finally decided to just let Parker watch Cars while we had lunch. We normally try to not use it in restaurants just because he will then want to every time we go, but we were just done. Dining out with kids is definitely a full time juggling act.
Final beach sunset stroll.
Heading home, this is everythine we brought, minus Parker's car seat...
And that was our trip to Longboat!
