Different kind of trip

Tom has left for skydiving, Rainey is still sleeping and I have some thoughts on my mind that I would try and put on paper or virtual paper as the case may be :) I can see where people who do not have kids do not have the same growth as a person that does have kids. Meaning what? well, normally when we come down here I do what I want to do. Everything is about me. I like to spend hours exercising and hours in the spa area and then I like to sit down by the outside lounge with the fire pits and enjoy a few designer cocktails, watch a movie that is something I want to watch etc. The difference with a child is that the exercise room is for 18 and over , the spa area is for 18 and over (except manicure and pedicure) which we did but again not the same steam room, sauna, massage lovely experience. Then there is the designer cocktails hmmmm... well they are not quite as enjoyable when you have someone saying " I poo poo farted grandma" while picking her nose :) or " are you finished yet grandma" I want to go find a lizard. She was not thrilled with Coldwater Creek or Tommy Bahamas, did not want to sit for story time outside the toystore because she wanted to go to Mcdonalds and play in the playland we passed on the way to the mall. The very upscale mall I might add. But, and that is a big BUT the moments of loves, kisses, hugs, the "I love you grandma" watching her face light up with excitement at seeing something new. Well, those are the memories that will last a lifetime and much longer than spending time in the spa by myself. Even Tom says that she has grown from this experience of being away from home at 3 years old and spending time in a setting like we are in right now. She says " thank you sir " when someone opens the door for her. She loves to push the buttons for the elevator. She loves her cheese pizza with a side of strawberries, milk AND sprite for dinner that magically appears at the door at night!! . She gets a sundae with her meal and the first night she did not like the chocolate on it so the next night I did  not have them put chocolate on it and she asked where the chocolate was so last night I told them to go ahead and put the chocolate on the sundae and she looked at it and said" grandma, you know I don't like the chocolate sauce on my ice cream why did  you get it like this?" go figure>0  there have been lots of go figures but lots of good moments that have outweighed the grumpy moments.

Yesterday we left the hotel at 7 am to drive Tom 45 minutes up the  road to Skydive and then we stopped at a quick store to get some snacks and headed an hour to Old Tucson. Actually we were a bit early and so we stopped off at Walmart to look around and then headed to Old Tucson. She loved it. She kept calling it "the old west". She loved the dancing girls, the gunfight(that is where you see her playing in the dirt or sand or whatever it was.. finally I just took off her shoes and socks and let her play in the dirt to her hearts content and when she was done we put back on the socks and shoes. ) That is what I mean about letting go. I have learned that it is ok to take off your shoes and socks and play in the dirt. What is a little dirt going to hurt?  It is the concept of having control. I actually like to have control. I like things clean, organized, structured and streamlined. With Rainey all those things go out the window. You have to let go and have fun. Who cares if she has chocolate icecream all over her face? we can wash it off.  Who cares if she has pixie stick sticky stuff all over her hands... wash it off. I am finding that you can wash a lot of stuff off :) I know that Rainey and I have bonded on this trip. We have spent every moment together except for the 1 hour I went to exercise on Thursday and she went out to the hot tub with Tom but other than that I have been with her the whole time. I wanted Tom to enjoy skydiving and I can exercise at home and I can get a massage at home. He cannot have the opportunities at home that he has here with the coaches ect.

Back to the beginning. We grow when we are stretched in different directions and believe me children can help us grow. We are going home later tonight. I am going to take her out to the pool for a few hours. I will take some pictures and get some taken of us together. I had my camera out there the other day but forgot the card . Anyway hope you are enjoying the pictures.