So. We’re home.

Oh, you didn’t even know we went away?

Yes, we did. But since I figure it’s not a good idea to announce to the entire Internet that, “We will be gone for the next four days, so our house and all our belongings are left unguarded and vulnerable”…I didn’t mention it.

But now we’re back, so I feel much more free to talk about it.

Last Thursday night, we left the cold northern climate in which we live, and headed for the sunny land of Florida. No Disney World, no Sea World, no Universal Studios. Just a few days with Chad’s parents in their winter home. A few days of warmer weather, relaxation, no school, no housework. Simply, a getaway.

It was delightful.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be delightful. For one thing, L (3) is not the best traveler. When he doesn’t have his own bed and his own routine, he tends to, um…fall apart. Often. In addition, this was to be L’s first airplane ride, and I had no idea how he’d handle the idea of sitting still in an airplane for hours. Not to mention the standing in line, sitting in line, and waiting for luggage to arrive at the baggage claim.

And finally, the weatherman had told me that Florida was experiencing record cold temperatures this month. Temperatures below freezing. And snow. And sleet. And generally yucky weather. Which I can get plenty of right here at home, thankyouverymuch.

But delightfully, the weather improved, and L. was a trooper. That’s not to imply that he didn’t fall apart. Because he did. But we adjusted and compensated, and in the end, we all had a great time.

What did we do?

• We rode around my in-laws’ retirement community in golf carts. Oh, actually, they call them “golf cars” there, so I suppose I should be accurate. The kids loved the novelty of the golf cars, and Chad and I enjoyed it too. We went almost everywhere in those little vehicles.

• We wore short sleeves. Oh, glorious sunshine! It was splendid to be in short sleeves, rather than sweatshirts and fleece and very heavy coats.

• We spent some time with C(11)’s 3rd-grade teacher, who retired to the same community as Chad’s parents did, and lives only a couple minutes from them. Mrs. M. taught us how to play Pickleball (which I’d never heard of), gave us a glimpse of all the things she’s enjoying these days, and spent several hours catching up with C. and showing him around.

• We played games in the evenings: TransAmerica, Rummikub, Treehouse, Dominoes. For a game lover (that’d be me), it was wonderful.

• We (Chad and I) went on a date. Chad’s parents watched the kids for a few hours on Sunday, so Chad and I went to the bookstore, had a coffee, drove around in the golf cart car, and did some leisurely shopping. Perfect!

• We did more (went to a classic car show, ate too much, learned about fox squirrels and Spanish moss), but mostly…we relaxed and had a nice time.

Some lessons I learned on this trip:

• The video-playing iPod is one of the best inventions. Ever. It got L. through two plane rides and several other times when he needed a little distraction or entertainment.
• A weekend of eating too much food — especially things like crème brulée and funnel cake and a yummy fruity tiramisu made by Chad’s Aunt Linda — will make itself known when I step on the scale on my first morning home.
• Sometimes a quick weekend away is just what the doctor ordered. Yes, we’re back in the land of cold and gray. But the trip was refreshing and re-energizing, and might just have given me the oomph to make it until spring.