Day 2, Happy Snorkeling Birthday, Camden!

Leaving home by 630 am two days in a row is a record for a couple of our kids.  Being awake at 630 am two days in a row is a record for a couple of our kids.  So despite whining and gnashing of teeth, we were indeed once again in the car at 630 am heading toward a new adventure.  After another hour and a half in the car, we arrived at Pinnekamp State Park.

There was a long line of people registering for today's snorkeling trip, but we made it through, received our equipment, and headed to the boat.  The sky was anything but blue and sunny, so it was pretty much expected that we were going to get wet...long before we jumped in the water.

We arrived at Grecian Rock.  William had borrowed an underwater video camera from some friends, so he headed off to explore.  Andrew grabbed Ben and they headed off to explore.  Chris headed off to explore.  Cam crashed and burned.  His snorkel was not a good fit, so he was taking on water which makes breathing a little challenging.  He has no gills, so he ended up back on the boat.  Caroline was refitted with a life vest and a new, smaller snorkel, and she waited for me.  I, without thinking, did the incredibly not bright move of jumping in without my mask.  Um, yeah.  Back to the ladder I go.  It is really the first time I have been in tidal water since I was rescued from a riptide last summer, so it unexpectedly took me a few minutes to adjust.  Once I did, I was fine.  Caroline was then handed into the water near me so I could supervise her.  Billy has no desire to be in water over his head, so he stayed on the boat with the incredibly kind and patient captain and dive master.

Off we went...and got halfway to Grecian Rock when Caroline just wigged.  Completely.  She tried to breathe through her nose, couldn't, panicked, and ripped off her mask.  Okay...I try to calm her down, get her mask back on her, and realize that we just need to head back to the boat.  So she keeps her eyes closed, I convince her to at least kick so I am not doing all the work for both of us, and I tow her back to the boat. 

They get her straightened out again...While they are working on her, Billy convinces me to head back toward the reef and come back and let Caroline know how cool it is, and maybe we can convince her to try again.  I do.  It is very cool, and then I head back to once again retrieve Caroline...but Andrew is swimming near the boat and apparently has already agreed to take her so I can actually SEE the coral reef.  I am very grateful, but that makes the third time I have swum against the current to arrive at the reef.  I swim around for a while, but the lungs are getting unhappy, so I head back to the boat and my inhaler.  All of the other kids arrive one by one, and everyone has enjoyed themselves...and are now starving.

We had encountered rain while on the boat headed to Grecian Rock, and as we were headed back to shore, it rained again.  We rinsed off, got back in the car, and headed for food.  The dive master told me about The Fish House, so we headed there.  What a great choice.

Andrew wanted one of everything on the menu, Chris decided a burger was safe, Will and Cam chose safety with the fish and chips, and Ben and Caroline decided to split a full Caesar salad and a half pound burger with fries.  (Billy was convinced there would be leftovers, but nope.  No leftovers at all.)  The food was amazing and really reasonably priced for what we received.  I asked if we could return there tomorrow, but I was voted down since it is over an hour from our resort.

The server asked if we wanted dessert, and I jumped right in and said, "Of course we want key lime pie!"  Like anyone in my family doubted that I would order that.  I looked at Cam and told him he could choose his own dessert since it was his birthday...and he chose key lime pie.  Good boy...knows a good dessert when he sees one.

Well, to everyone's surprise, the server wished Camden a happy birthday in a way none of us ever expected.

Yes, that is a fresh yellow tail snapper with a candle in it.  We are at the Fish House which purchases all of its fish whole from local fishermen and filets them on the premises.  What else would they put a candle in to sing Happy Birthday to someone?

We returned ever so slowly to the resort due to road work, and then the tropical wave that has been causing lots of unsettled weather hit with a fury.  The lightning and thunder hit just as I was heading to take Caroline to the pool, so we went to plan C.  Billy headed to the grocery store and the Redbox while I updated the blog.  The kids have been swimming, are now showering, and Chinese food has been ordered.  A nice, quiet evening with a movie and Chinese food, and hopefully a pillow not long thereafter is exactly what we need. 

I know everyone is worried about William.  Tuesday night he slept with an IV  and we continued with another IV all day while we traveled.  By last night, he looked truly awful and I was extremely concerned.  Today he looks better, but he needs another IV tonight.  The activity level is much higher than he is accustomed to, but so far, he is doing better than I feared.  I brought enough fluids to run two IV's every day, but so far, we have only needed one.  He may crash yet, but so far he is holding his own.