Honor Roll, Braces and Frogs!

Yesterday was a BIG day for Sofia! Originally it was just the day she would get her braces! The night before she leaned over and casually asked if I could cancel the appointment and she could get her braces "another time." I told her that it was time to get them and the sooner she got them, the sooner they would be off. She agreed with that logic but later that night, much beyond her bedtime, she was very upset by the idea of getting braces. She calmed down and went to bed.

I picked Sofia up around 2pm yesterday for her appointment and when she came into the office she had a sticker for making the "A" Honor Roll! Sofia has "A"s in all of her classes and has worked very hard for those grades. She is very proud of making the Honor Roll and getting a sticker for it. I told her I would put it on the back window of our car! The prior semester, she made the "A-B" Honor Roll, since she had a "B" in math, but she has since changed it to an A. We are so proud of her!

After picking up Sofia, we headed to Dr. Chow's office. She walked into the office a bit defiant and told the front desk ladies that she really didn't want her braces yet. It was a pretty amazing to watch Dr. Chow work! He had three other patients at the same time and rotated between all of them to give each their braces! Within an hour, Sofia was finished and we were heading out the door. Of course, once they were on, Sofia was beyond excited to have them and said she loved them already. As we walked out to the car, she told the front desk ladies that she loved her new braces and couldn't wait to show all of her friends. I just love how positive Sofia is about so many things that she could be negative or down about. Just love her enthusiasm for life!

We headed home and found out that the tadpole kit we ordered online Tuesday had arrived! The kit I ordered includes a small plastic aquarium, a plastic plant and two live tadpoles that will grow into leopard frogs in 12-16 weeks! The girls asked every day after school if the kit had arrived, and were so excited when we opened it. Olivia was actually at Hannah's house since Casey picked Olivia up for me since Sofia's orthodontist appointment started just before Olivia was let out of school.

Sofia and I got the tadpole kit washed and ready and then waited until Olivia was home so they could release the tadpoles into their new aquarium home. Olivia was so excited to get home and "meet" their new tadpoles. Of course, the girls released them and immediately started brainstorming about names. The ended up deciding on Lilipad, or Lily for short, which is Olivia's tadpole while Pepe is Sofia's tadpole. Sofia drew a diagram to show everyone the difference between the two, although you really can't tell a difference when looking at them. Meanwhile, Olivia wanted the frogs to have a background like the advertisement, so I printed out a sea life coloring page that she colored and taped to the back of the aquarium. It looks super cute! Look forward to watching them grow up and turn into frogs! All around it was a great day for everyone!

Sofia and her "A" Honor Roll sticker! Love the bluebonnets in the background too.

Sofia "Before" her braces!

In process of getting her braces!

Sofia "After" with her braces!

Before and after!

Tadpoles!

Sofia's sign with the tadpole names!

The new background Olivia made for the tadpoles.

Sofia and her sticker on our car while wearing her new braces!

Spring Break Day 6: Kayaking the Creek

Today was supposed to be our last day at FBV and we were all a bit blue to have to pack up and leave in the morning. CK was just starting to relax and unwind and the girls really wanted "just one more day" on the beach. CK wondered if we might be able to stay until Saturday morning and I headed up to the big house to ask. I asked Tamarin and she said we were in luck and the Beach House was free for Friday night! I couldn't believe our luck. I returned to tell CK and the girls that we got one more day! We were all super excited!

We had breakfast in the big house with Chip, Lisa and Charlie and had decided the night before to kayak through the creek to shell island and back. Unfortunately, it was very windy and would be a tough day to kayak through the creek, but if we didn't do it today we wouldn't have a chance to do it and it was one of our very favorite things to do. We headed to the kayaks and Olivia went with CK while Sofia and I got on a double kayak together. I also brought our masks and snorkels so we could explore around shell island. We jumped on the kayaks and started toward the creek. Sofia and I actually did a great job working together and made it to the mouth of the creek, despite the wind. I was already pretty tired out and was sort of dreading kayaking the entire creek! Once we headed into the creek, Sofia jumped out so she could snorkel and I ended up getting out of the kayak and pulling it down the creek. The wind was just too strong by the mouth of the creek, so I needed to get a little bit down the creek and give my arms a break. I had to stop pulling the kayak once I reached the edge of the sand bank. The creek becomes very sludgy and totally gross to walk through.

I got back into the kayak and Sofia climbed in too since she wasn't making as much headway as I was in the kayak. We paddled together, fighting the wind and working hard to get through the creek. We finally figured out that if we stuck close the edge of the creek, it would block the wind a bit. It did help but it was still tough work getting to the other side of the creek. After an hour, we finally made it! Just as we arrived at the edge of the creek, Sofia jumped out and started snorkeling. I kayaked to the far side of the bay and parked the kayak next to all the other kayaks. Of course, Sofia and I were always the slowest, but at least we made it. We all walked around the beach near our kayaks and I snorkeled in the bay. I really wanted to snorkel to the area where we'd found all of the Sea Biscuit Sand Dollars that we'd found the year before, but I was a long way away and didn't want to hold up the group. Also, the tide was coming in and we needed to start heading back to FBV. Charlie and Sofia were on the far side of the bay building a monster sand castle. They were having a great time together and had big plans for their sand castle. I love how much they connect and enjoy each other and play together. Meanwhile, Olivia was in the world's worst mood. She had been in a terrible mood since we'd arrived at the shore and didn't want to do anything but "go home." I kept trying to tell her how she needed to enjoy the visit since we would be going home to Texas in a few days and days at the beach would be behind us. That didn't work, so I told her to hang out on the beach and keep her bad mood to herself.

We lingered for a bit and then got back into the kayaks and headed for much-needed lunch! We kayaked to the far side of the bay to collect Charlie and Sofia and then headed back. We still had to fight the wind a little bit, but it was easier than the kayak from FBV. We finally made it back and I know I was thoroughly exhausted by the time we pulled up onto the beach with the kayak. Wow, what a workout!

We headed to the big house and ordered lunch while Chip made us all pina coladas. He has even made Sofia and Olivia fans of pina coladas! He makes the very best ones and they were much needed after that trip. I ordered a cheeseburger, which was beyond delicious and much needed! Somehow the cheeseburgers at FBV are amazing and the best I have all year. So delicious! After lingering over such a great meal, we headed back to the Beach House where we read and hung out all afternoon. It ended up being a perfect day too. Despite the great day, neither girl was interested in either swimming, snorkeling or kayaking. Sofia did spend some time building a sand castle. That girl never gets tired of her sand castles. Instead, they played in the sand and also enjoying lounging on the beach reading. Olivia loves Geronimo Stilton and would read to me from the lounger next to me. The girls also played Uno with CK for a while.

Dinner was creamy lobster with mushrooms, pork tenderloin, salad and potatoes. Another excellent meal. We lingered over our meal and then headed down to the fire pit where we hung out with the two older couples who also flew in to Cat Island. They were really a lot of fun and have been visiting Cat Island for years. They were a lot of fun and it was great visiting with them for a bit. We headed to our place around 10:30pm and were getting ready for bed when Olivia showed up at our sliding glass door and said "Last chance to tuck two cute little girls into bed." It was so cute! We tucked the girls in, after clearing all sand from the sheets, which we've had to do every night before the girls slide into bed. We also have to wipe the girls' feet off. The sand mainly bothers Olivia, while Sofia doesn't really care about the sand. One perk to getting the girls in bed at 10:30pm every night is that they sleep like puppies and are ready for a new day each morning.

Our view from our back patio is magical! I love it so much!

Sofia and CK heading out for our big kayak trip

Battling the wind in the creek.

Sofia snorkeling in the bay on the far side of the creek.

The most amazing cheese burger ever!

One of the crazy curly-tailed lizards. This one loved having his photo taken.

Sofia building yet another sand castle. That girl never gets tired of sand castles.

Our sweet beach girl!

The view of the FBV bay from the far side.

My view as I read and relax (and maybe nap).

My little reader friend...

Spring Break Day 5: Feeding Sharks!

I slept in until 9am, which felt great and found CK reading in the living room. The girls slept until 9:30am. It was rainy and windy the evening before and into the morning and still looked like it might rain but was dry and still warm, so it was still decent outside. We all headed to the big house where the girls and Charlie played Apples to Apples before switching gears and playing hide and seek outside around the big house. CK and I took naps and read while the girls hung out and played.

At 3:15pm the girls and I met Chip, Lisa and Charlie so we could go with them to the Hawk's Nest, which is at the far end of the island. CK wanted to sleep and relax, so he stayed behind. The girls and I weren't really sure what to expect, but they both wanted a break from swimming, so we figured going to check out the sharks could be interesting. Apparently there has been a fishing tournament going on for a few day and after the fish are cleaned, the sharks are fed the fish carcasses in the bay.

The drive to the Hawk's Nest was only about 30 minutes and before we arrived at the marina, there were a number of really nice houses, well-maintained roads and another small airport with a few planes. We had to drive across the runway to get to the marina, which was full of very big and beautiful fishing boats! It seemed so out of place for little Cat Island. Along with the fishing boats there were several yachts in the marina, as well. Chip and Lisa said they have been to the Hawk's Nest a few times and it's always empty, so they loved seeing so much activity and said it was usually so quiet and sleepy. We arrived just on time to watch the shark feeding! We headed to the dock that is on the far side of the marina that is near the mouth of the river leading to the ocean. The dock was an "L" shape and more narrow than our dock at the lake. There were probably about 10-15 people standing on the dock, so we walked to the far side of the dock so we could watch as the fish carcasses were fed to the sharks. When we arrived there were about 20 sharks of all sizes in the water below the docks! A kid who we later learned was 11 years old and about Sofia's size! He stood on the short dock across from us and used a rope to tie the fish carcass up and then threw it into the water so we could watch the sharks eat! It was insane! The sharks went crazy and tried to snatch the carcass in their teeth and swim away. Of course, the rope didn't allow that so they fought like crazy to get the food. The younger ones were actually the most aggressive. It felt a little unsettling to be standing on the narrow dock with the sharks going crazy directly below us! Of course, I kept thinking "if one of us fell in....." Yikes! I told the kids to sit down, which helped ease my mind a bit. It was so unbelievable to watch and be right there. One of the perks of going on vacations to such a place as Cat Island instead of where everyone else goes in the Bahamas. So cool (and scary).

Once the boy finished feeding several fish carcasses, he headed over to grab a cart that had a bunch of fish scraps on it. He started to walk away and I asked him if he planned to feed the sharks, but he said he brought out the scraps for others to throw in to the sharks! I told Charlie and the girls and they were all over it! Since it was so windy and a little chilly out, I ended up giving Olivia my long sleeve swim shirt to stay warm, and ended up taking off my long sleeve workout top to give to Sofia. I had a short sleeve shirt on and was a little cool, but felt fine after a minute. The girls and Charlie started throwing in fish scraps and had a great time watching the sharks go crazy! The sharks really loved all the scraps and went crazy for every piece. Of course they also got fish guts all over my tops! They sure did love feeding the sharks!

After all the fish scraps were gone, we headed over to take a look at the Hawk's Nest Restaurant, which was decorated for a celebratory dinner for all the fishing tournament folks. Lisa said she and Chip have eaten there before and the food was decent. Maybe next time we'll try it. After walking around for a bit and checking out all the beautiful fishing boats, and taking photos, we loaded up and headed back to FBV. Of course, since the girls' both had fish guts on their tops, our car ride home smelled like dead fish! I'm so glad we went with them to the Hawk's Nest. It was so worth seeing and so fun to feed the sharks and check out a new area of the island.

We got back just before dinner and CK had a great few hours of relaxation, which he really needed. So we were all happy heading into one of the best meals! Cheesy broccoli, roasted chicken and grilled fish. So delicious and I think I could eat several plates full of the FBV cheesy broccoli. So delicious! We hung out with Chip, Lisa and Charlie at our dinner tables and then down around the fire until we headed to bed around 10:30pm. We've noticed that this visit to FBV has been different primarily due to the other guests. In our past visits, most guest linger and chat after dinner either in the big house or around the fire pit. However, this visit it seems like everyone heads back to their cabanas minutes after dinner is over. It's been Chip, Lisa, Charlie and us chatting and enjoying the evenings together. We've been ending our evening by the fire, which is perfect after a great meal!

The sign by the dock

The fishing boats and yachts in the marina.

Chip and the kids on the dock directly across from the sharks

The boy feeding the sharks! Yikes!!

One little shark will not release the carcass!

The group of people watching the shark feeding.

The girls and Charlie feeding the sharks!

Feeding the sharks! Intense!

Spring Break Day 3: Beach!

I woke up and had a cup of coffee in our house's kitchen. Along with snacks, we'd brought Keurig K-cups so we could enjoy coffee in the morning. Just as I was enjoying my coffee, Olivia came into the living room still waking up. She explained that she felt the bed "had too much sand in it" so she slept on the floor, which makes absolutely no sense. The floor is tile and probably full of sand. I can't imagine how uncomfortable her night was! Sofia woke up a bit later and stumbled to the big house for breakfast. We didn't really have any real food and she's our big breakfast eater.

The girls hung out with Charlie and Lisa while CK and I went with Chip to the grocery store. Chip and Lisa rented a car for the week, so he offered to take us so we could pick up food, snacks, bottled waters and sodas. We picked up bread, peanut butter, strawberry jelly, yogurts, bottled waters, and San Pelogrinos. The grocery store is such an interesting spot to visit and I really wanted to have the girls come with us so they could see that not every grocery store is Central Market or Market Street. The grocery store at Cat Island is small and doesn't have very many products or product variety either! But, it offers what we need for a few days. I really can't imagine it being the main grocery store to visit weekly! We paid for our things and headed back to FBV. When we returned, the girls were playing hide-and-seek with Charlie around the big house.

We unloaded our food and then got ready to go on an adventure with Chip, Lisa and Charlie to Shanna's Cove at the very top of the island. It is about 15 or 20 miles to Shanna's Cove, but that translates into about 45 minutes to an hour because of the road conditions. Chip, Lisa and Charlie have been to Shanna's Cove on past visits and said it was really fantastic. Sofia and Charlie sat in the back hatch area while Olivia, Lisa and I sat in the backseat together. We headed through a few little "villages" which is a generous description of the small little areas of houses, stores and a school. It was amazing to see how the Cat Island villagers live. It's such a small island and the villages are all tiny and almost look like just a couple of families houses grouped together.

We made it to Shanna's Cove and it was amazing! It looks like a fancier and better built FBV! It looked like a great place and it was fun to see a different resort. By the time we arrived, Sofia was feeling pretty nauseous, poor thing. Luckily we made it in time and she was fine once we stopped. Chip and Lisa chatted with the owner, who is German and has owned the resort for 20 years with his wife. It made me wonder how a German couple ended up literally at the end of Cat Island, and I'm sure they have a fascinating story! We headed for the patio which had an amazing view of the bay below. The day was perfect and it was exciting to be somewhere new. We started with some German summer sausages with mustard followed by pizza and crab salad. It was all delicious!

After lunch, we headed down to the beach, which was on a beautifully made stone and concrete sidewalk. The bay was huge compared to FBV and there are several people on the beach. It was really nice, but didn't feel quite as homey and cozy as our spread back at FBV. Plus, those stairs would be tough going back and forth to visit the beach. It was a beautiful beach though and fun to see a different area of the beach.

We drove back to FBV and both Sofia and Olivia fell asleep on the trip back. We were just thankful Sofia wasn't sick on the 45 minute drive home. Once we were back, the girls played on the beach while I read out on the lounge chair on the beach. CK also took the girls out to paddle board in the bay, which they were both pretty good at from the beginning. They had a lot of fun out there. It seemed like no time when it was time for drinks and appetizer hour and we were all very full from lunch. Ironically they had sausages and mustard for the appetizers! They weren't quite as good as they were at Shanna's Cove, but close. The kids continued to play in the sand and build sand castles until 7pm, when we were finally able to convince them to shower and join us for dinner.

Dinner was delicious and we enjoyed relaxing and catching up with Chip and Lisa while the girls sat with Charlie. After dinner, the kids headed to the beach where they used head lamps to continue building sand castles. Thankfully Chip and Lisa brought three head lamps, which the girls were happy to borrow to build their castles. I think those three could stay out on the sand all night long. Later we headed to the fire pit and continued talking until bed time.

My view while I drink my coffee. I could get used to this!

A rainbow down the beach!

Charlie showing the girls one of his video games.

Our new snorkeling fan!

The view from Shanna's Cove's restaurant

Enjoying the weather and views before lunch!

The patio

The cove.

Paddle Boarding with Papa back at FBV.

The big house where all of our meals are served.

Building sand castles in the sunset.

Such a gorgeous view!

The best sunset ever is right here. Every night!

Building sand castles at night!