Belize Stateside

The family went to PF Chang’s in Middleton for the first time on Sunday.  The table we sat at had the lazy susan in the center.  The last time we ate at one of those ‘fancy’ chinese joints was in Boston, and Maeve and I used the lazy Susan to pass notes to each other.  She’s quite the fun note writer.  For my future self, I’m going to transcribe our conversation.  Imagine the big lazy Susan wheel spinning the message to the recipient after each line in the dialogue.
D: Maeve, what’s your favorite color?
M: purple
D: But that’s Jane’s favorite color.
M: So what (in large loud threatening letters)
D: You’re right, it’s fine to share favorites.  Is Janie’s favorite brother Theo too?  (Dad stirring the pot)
M: Yes, wait… mabey
D: Maybe you should ask her?
M: ok no mabey (after whispering the question to Jane)
D: That’s 3 separate answers.  I want 1 answer, yes or no.
M: Mabey
D: Maybe is not an answer.  Yes or No are answers.  What’s your answer?  Yes or No – circle one.
M: Mabey (circled after she wrote it in)
D: You CHEATER.  You are very indecisive.  Do you know what indecisive means? Yes or No – circle one
M: Mabey (circled after she again wrote it in)
D: Fine.  Your answer can be Maybe, but you must spell it correctly.
M: Thank You
D: So… what part of our Belize trip are you most excited about?
M: Zoo. Zoo. Annie. (one of her friends will be in Belize at the same time)
D: I doubt we’ll see Annie, but I guarantee we’ll see the zoo.  We even get to stay overnight at the zoo!  Hope it’s not too stinky.
M: Dad is afraid of a smell
D: Hey, Dads get scare sometimes too.  Hopefully the animals won’t get out of their cages while we’re sleeping.  If they do will you save me?
M: Yes, wait… no, wait… mabey
D: You spelled it WRONG!  Fix it!
M: OK, I fixed it.
D: Very good.  Now they’ll let you pass out of kindergarten to 1st grade.
M: I’m in 2nd grade.  so ha-ha-ha.  (LARGE LOUD LETTERS)
D: You’re not in 2nd grade already?  So sorry.  I like to think of you as my little baby.
M: So then I’m a smart baby cause I past 1st grade.
D: You are smart.  Uh-oh, we’re almost out of space (on the paper).  Guess you get the last word.  What’s the last word?
M: Bye-Bye  (drawing a line to some more open white space on the paper) Give me yours
D: MAYBE ;-)
M: Something else (big loud commanding letters again)
D: I LOVE YOU

This is why I love travelling with my family.  As much as they bicker, I love quiet adventures with them.

As for the trip, already a few minor issues.
1) The new carry-on luggage Kate ordered was delayed by snow and didn’t arrive in time for the trip
2) The map, and 4 Belize books I ordered from Amazon were forgotten at home
3) I forgot my running shoes
4) I had the 2nd worse pain in my life on the weekend, ending in the dentist coming in to his office Saturday night and numbing my left upper jaw.  Followed by pain meds.  The root canal followed Monday morning… which was welcome peace of mind as he was nearly 100% certain that the ‘hot tooth’ was the issue I’d been attempting to resolve for the last 2 weeks.  So very lucky to resolve it before the trip.

I’m writing this from the Chicago hotel we are overnighting in.  They’ll store our car for 14 days and shuttle us to the airport.  No brainer.  Sleep tight kiddos.  Tomorrow we arrive in Belize and visit and overnight at the zoo.

I promise more photos in my next post.