Winter in FL

Despite all of the crud we've been passing around and our busy scheduled we've tried to enjoy the nice FL winter weather.  I wouldn't say it puts us in the Christmas spirit when it's 80 degrees and we feel like we should be laying poolside, but it's nice!  Last weekend we went to St. Pete to visit our friends Devon and Nolan.  On our way there Friday we stopped at the children's museum in Tampa and Jacob had a great time running around.  His favorite parts were the boat (that played music so he could dance), the fake sand box (which had rubber "sand" so it didn't stick), and the ball pit (we literally had to drag him out of that). 

Saturday we went to the St. Pete Saturday morning market which is always a lot of fun and has so many great things.  Yummy food, lots of dogs and people to watch, music, lots of goodies for sale.  After the market Jacob needed a nap so we drove around St. Pete, ending up at a place called Sunken Gardens.  It was a beautiful place to walk around, feed the fish, see lots of birds, and let Jacob explore.  Saturday evening we went to dinner at one of their local favorites and then to a boat parade in Gulfport.  I guess if we're in FL we'll celebrate the holidays like Floridians do.  Instead of watching holiday parades while bundled up under blankets sipping hot chocolate we watched the holiday boat parade standing on a pier in our flip flops.  We didn't get there until close to the end but is was still fun and the idea is definitely growing on me. :-)

Jacob was just a trooper on our trip as he was up later than usual and in a totally new environment.  Despite their apartment not being Jacob-proof we have no injuries or damage to report.  Even their Christmas tree stayed in tact.  They have a fish named Fiona that Jacob was a big fan of, she provided good entertainment while we were there. . . and I think I may see fish tank in our house again in the future.

This week is one of the busiest of the semester for me (not the best week to have a sinus infection).  I'm giving my final(then grading my final), have lots of meetings and end of the semester deadlines, and my big prospectus meeting with my committee to discuss my dissertation project.  I know the meeting will bring lots more work but I'm excited to hear what my committee members have to say and am looking forward to starting my study in the Spring.

Have a wonderful rest of your week (and for those of you reading in cooler climates walk enjoy a cup of hot chocolate for me under a blanket by the fire since I'm wearing shorts and slip flops and drinking iced coffee still).