Sounds of Sidney

Now 16 weeks old, Sidney is becoming more interactive every minute. She laughs sometimes, watches Ben all the time, and volunteers little coos and squeals most of the time in between.

Her hair still defies gravity... and logic, here seeming to blow against the wind instead of with it, like mommy's hair.

And Benjamin continues to have a blast in the water.

Ike

Here's what Ike looked like, as of early this evening, from the point at the end of our street -- about a block away from our front door. Beyond that tiki hut, the ocean is usually as glassy as a swimming pool. No damage at all at our house. We're guessing local winds weren't more than 45- to 50-m.p.h. at any time. A good reminder that we wouldn't want to deal with much more weather than this, and to evacuate if the Keys themselves are ever in the crosshairs. Hopefully not anytime soon!

For you weather buffs or those who want to play at home, try these websites. Our favorites for getting the story straight: http://www.wunderground.com/ and http://www.stormpulse.com/

Melbourne Vacation

Mission accomplished: a fabulous Friedman getaway on Florida's space coast. Our first vacation as a family of four was a success. Steve's aunt Paula and husband Coyle were generous to offer us their house in Melbourne. Couldn't have had a better setup. It even had a "pool right in it!" much to Benjamin's delight. We hated to leave... and may need to return if "Ike" gives us trouble in the Keys. Here's what kept us busy:

The lanai is like a tranquil, breezy, bug-free extension of the living room.

Until you add a 2-year-old, and then the tranquil goes away. But Ben's in-water confidence improved greatly during the week, as we swam multiple times every day.

One day we drove to Orlando (45 minutes from Melbourne) and did Disney on the cheap -- didn't go in any parks, just browsed Downtown Disney and took a ride on the monorail -- Ben's first train ride.

We spent a couple of mornings at the nearby beaches. With Ben around, there were no lounge chairs needed! But the wind and surf were so relaxing and peaceful.

Got in some boogy-boarding, too.

One night, we strolled around the Brevard Zoo. The whole place is set up with fenced boardwalks -- perfect for keeping a tot corralled.

Ben used every bench he encountered as a launch point "To infinity and beyond!!" Buzz Lightyear is still a favorite of his.

He also watched some big kids scale this structure at a local park, and gave it a go himself.

Later he climbed this "mountain," then took a break to soak in the view from up there.

We spent my birthday in Cocoa Beach at a place called The Pier: a long boardwalk that extends a football-field length into the Atlantic. We watched surfers bob in the sea waiting for the perfect wave.

Then Steve decided to give it a try.

(Yes, I'm kidding).

But Ben was a natural at hangin' 10.
In between our outings, there was lots of family lounge time.


This is how Sidney saw much of Melbourne: from the car seat in the stroller.But that didn't seem to bother her any! So, don't feel bad for us if we have to leave town for hurricane Ike. It'll be like a mandatory vacation all over again!