Wyndham Resort & Spending Time With the Cousins

Some time over a year ago, I got a call from a lady at Wyndham Resort (a time share company) that basically went like this, "YOU have been specially chosen as a recipient of a SUPER great DEAL that we are offering!!" You know the type of call - - the kind where you hang up as fast as you can but you hardly have the chance because the caller is talking so fast that there's not even a pause in the conversation where you can say "good-bye." Apparently they had gotten my name from when we had stayed at a Wyndham in Newport over Christmas (my aunt and uncle are time share owners there). While I was waiting for the pause so I could hang up, I played right into their hands and changed my mind. They wanted to give us a 3-night stay at one of their resorts for a low, low price as long as we would go to their sales presentation while we were there. I figured we might want to do that while we mom came down here. So I went for it.

Fast forward about 16 months and the thing was about to expire but we finally booked a weekend. It didn't work out when my mom was down here so we decided to go with Ron and Elaine instead. It just so happened that cousins Derek and Tyler would be down here at the same time so we could make it a fun weekend away with them. Since we just stayed at the flagship Wyndham Resort, Bonnet Creek, a few weeks ago, I booked this one for another property that's located in Davenport - - about a 35 minutes drive from our house. Unfortunately the timing wasn't ideal because we booked it starting Friday evening which was the same Friday evening as the VBS program. It meant we had to drive about 50 minutes to get there from Longwood and plus it was late. It also ended up storming so we had to drive down and unload in the rain but what can you do.

Once we got in, we could see it was no Bonnet Creek. It was definitely an older place but it was still more than adequate. It was a 3-bedroom unit and we were hoping that one of the rooms would have two double beds so Ron and Elaine and the cousins could bunk together but it wasn't to be. No matter. We are used to being in one room. Calaubra settled into their sleeping bags without a whimper but Colby was a whole different story. I have recently discovered that if he has some sugar before bedtime (they all had a cookie last week about an hour before bedtime and it was a nightmare - - Colby was up until after 11:00 pm!) he has a hard time getting to sleep. After the VBS program, they have refreshments and even though I didn't think Colby ate much there, he did have a cookie on his plate. Arghhh! Needless to say, that stinking kid didn't go to bed until 12:15 AM. He cried in the pack and play so I put him in the bed with me but he just kept trying to get out of it so I finally just took him into the living room where the adults were talking. Yup, wide awake the whole time. No more sugar for that kid. I hear the whole sugar thing is a myth but I'm not taking my chances any more.

You can tell a place is really fancy when they hang the TV on the wall like this.

This picture was taken at 11:47 pm. He was just fooling around.

We intended to go to church in Celebration in the morning but Colby didn't wake up until after 10:00 after the late night so we ended up scrapping that. Instead we just spent the day around the hotel chilling out.

The next morning was the sales presentation which we had to drive back to Bonnet Creek for. Ron and Elaine were going to stay with the kids while we went but we got the bright idea that they should drive over with us so they could use the pools at Bonnet Creek. Our resort, Bahama Bay, had pools but they were definitely not as exciting as the pools, lazy river, and water slide at Bonnet Creek. I called the service desk at Bonnet Creek, mostly to ask if they were serving breakfast at the presentation (I had heard that the meal is really good and wanted to confirm they were having it - - which they were) and then just threw in "It's okay if my kids and inlaws come and use pool there while we are in the presentation, right?" I was told flat-out "no." Apparently it is fine for guests of people staying at that specific resort to use the pools but the insurance doesn't cover people staying at other resorts that come there to use it. Plus, he says "You are't actually staying at a Wyndham property anyway." I was lost because Wyndham is the one setting this all up and the sign at the front of Bahama Bay says Wyndham so you got me. I told him "That's it! I'm not buying a time share now!"

Sunday morning it was just Duncan and I, then, that drove the 25 minutes to Bonnet Creek. I was starving and all excited about the great meal I knew was coming. We got checked in and got our name tags and then our salesperson, "Lance," brought us upstairs to where the meal was being served. He made some comment about our Bob Evans breakfast and I chuckled to myself thinking he was joking. He WAS NOT. Remember last month when we had that bad Bob Evans experience when we went to Hammock Beach? I said I wouldn't go to one again. I suppose I didn't break that promise. But yikes! It was a little serving line with Bob Evans employees and they were serving scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and biscuits which only the latter two things I eat. Now I'm REALLY not buying a time share.

Now I know some of you are thinking that going to a time share is like torture. But honestly, Duncan and I were looking forward to it because we were curious as to how it all works. We thought it would be fun to pick it all apart. Let me be clear...there was NO WAY we were going to ever buy a timeshare even if the meal was a 7-course banquet or they let us use the pools there all day. Dave Ramsey says it's a really, really stupid thing to do and that's all I need to hear. We were not disappointed with all the stops they pulled out. They had a smarmy looking guy Cliff do the first part. I would basically sum it up by saying there were no facts presented but more a speech about how "If you don't spend time with your family, you are a horrible parent." It was put in a much nicer manner, of course, but that was the gist of it. It ended with Cliff talking about how he bawled like a baby when his daughter left for college because he realized he hadn't gone on any trips as a family with her at all. A lessor person might have felt their heart strings being pulled but Duncan and I could recognize it for what it was. After that, Lance starts talking to us about how much money we will spend on vacations over the next 30 or 40 years. He asks questions like "How much do your plane tickets cost when you go on vacations?" and "How much are the hotel rooms you stay in?" All the questions he's asking and basically everything he is saying I notice is pointed at Duncan. He isn't even looking at me. I'm not a women's libber by any means but finally it got way too annoying so I say "I see that you are directing this all to Duncan but he doesn't know any of that stuff." That put him in his place.

Next Lance takes us into his "office." Have you ever bought a new car and when you go into the dealership all the salespeople are wearing suits and you sit at these little tiny tables that fit like three chairs around it? That's exactly what this is like. Duncan asks him for some actual numbers on his it costs but Lance shakes it off and continues on with all the things you are going to get. When he sees he's not making much headway with us, he disappears for a little bit and then comes back with renewed energy. He pulls out a rewards book and says you'll save money on your cell phone and all this other stuff. In fact, you will get 50% off at these restaurants! I tell him that I don't believe it (I've never heard my aunt and uncle talk about getting 50% off at restaurants)...that it's not that simple. He says "Are you telling me that 900,000 people are lying about how much they love Wyndham and that our stock going up is a fluke?" I say "Yes, I don't believe that it's true about the 50% off." He says "We have an integrity problem here then." And he storms off. I told Duncan, "If only I had said that 25 minutes ago." So much for it supposed to be no pressure.

Next we have to go to this big room where they send in the next guy to try to convince you to do a trail period. We point out some flaws with the deal and apparently the guy saw it was a lost cause so he gets up and says "Okay, let me tell you where you can go." But the way he said it, I thought "H-E-L-L was the next word to come out of his mouth! Instead he took us down the elevator to where we could "check out." This was a rather long line and by the time we finally left with our $100 American Express gift card, we had been there almost three hours as opposed to the two yours they tell you. Was it worth it? I think so. It gave us great laughing fodder for hours and days to come!

Meanwhile, while Lance was trying to sell us on everything, I got a text from Ron that Brady had been stung by a bee on his ear and was he allergic? Fortunately we knew he wasn't and Ron assured us he cried for a bit and then calmed down but still, it was a bit disconcerting. It stinks not to be with your kid when they're hurting.

After we got back, Duncan took the kids to the pool after lunch. Brady is obsessed with the pool, jumping in and swimming underwater over and over again. We also got a chuckle over something with Calleigh. A boy about 12 was friendly with us (there weren't many people in the pool at the time) and asked Calleigh if she wanted to race to the end of the pool. She said yes and off they went. Except...the boy was swimming doggie paddle and Calleigh beat him by a long shot. On the way back, he swam with a nice stroke so we realized that he thought Calleigh couldn't really swim and was going easy on her. He had no idea what a great swimmer she was. It was pretty funny! But seriously, that girl swims WAY better than I do and possibly Duncan. We wish we could put her in a swim club.

The hotel did have a nice splash playground.

Someone forgot to roll up the window in their van and it rained cats and dogs. Fortunately some stranger was nice enough to put a towel over it.

Later in the afternoon, we had an engagement at the Showcase of Citrus in Clermont (about a 15-minute drive). I had gotten a Groupon for a ride on the "World's Largest" 4x4 SUV - - basically a giant monster truck. They also have a country store, pick-your-own-citrus and other things of interest. Once you are away from the pools, you really realize how stinking hot it is. It's about 95 degrees out and worse in the sun. Sweat is rolling down your front and back. But, that didn't stop us! Fortunately the truck has a canopy so we were protected a little. Our driver was as authentic as you can get with the southern accent, jacked up teeth, and holes in his shirt and pants. When he started up the truck and it made this very loud noise, the look on Brady's face was worth all the sweat. It was such a joyous look and indeed, he enjoyed the whole thing immensely. The driver drove us through the orchards, stopped so we could feed the zebra and some other animal I forget the name of. He took us by the fertilizer plant. I thought this was interesting - - Animal Kingdom pays them to take all of their poop. They take it and turn it into fertilizer to use for themselves and to sell. The best part of the trip, though, was when we drove through the swamp. Apparently you can spot alligators in there from time to time but we didn't see any.

I have never seen this outside of New England. It's a horrible soda drink that some New Englanders go crazy over but I find utterly disgusting.

Notice the rips.

Going through the swamp.

Got some "world famous" orange juice slushies.

Got a brief respite from the heat under this little hut on the lake.

We had our $100 gift card burning a hole in our pocket so thought it would be perfect to treat everyone to supper especially since it was Father's Day and all. We finally found a restaurant off Yelp that got good reviews and off we went. On the way, I kept thinking about how nice a Mountain Dew would taste. I usually try to limit my intake to one a week since it's so rotten for you. I had one on Friday but it was so hot out that it would just hit the spot. Most restaurants have Coke so I wasn't thinking I would have much luck. We walked into the restaurant and right in front of us was this giant empty table that seats 10 and as I looked, I could see the Pepsi sign hanging in the back of the store. Double jackpot! Not to mention that Ron and Duncan got to eat free for Father's Day. We were indeed impressed with Flippers Pizzeria.

We presented Daddy and Grandpa with some Father's Day stuff when we got back.

The next morning, it was time to check out. Duncan had driven down separately so he was able to go straight to work. Brady had his 4-year old well visit so I left with him and Colby while Ron and Elaine took the girls back to their place to swim. Brady was a bit of a crab without his sisters there to show him getting weighed and measured wasn't a big deal. He eventually got over it fortunately. I was so curious to see how his height and weight had progressed since he eats ZERO vegetables and in fact, is a terribly picky eater. I mean, really picky. This is what he eats: pancakes, french toast, eggs, hot dogs, PB&J, pizza, quesadilla (but only from Taco Bell, not made at home), bread, grilled cheese (but not a cheese stick or a slice of cheese), veggie chicken strips, smoothies, lasagna, naan, apples, cantaloupe, honey dew, strawberries, and mangoes. We recently had to take watermelon off the list because he said "I don't like the seeds." I'm probably leaving a couple of things off the list but you get the gist of it. With the exception of lasagna he doesn't eat anything that I've made from scratch. Frustrating! So yes, it was with great curiosity (trepidation?) that I looked at his weight/height trend. What would it show?

The doctor showed me his computer screen and says "Yup, he's on the same 25th percentile line that he's been on for the last few years. He's doing great." That was a huge relief. My boy is still growing. I told him my concerns and that despite him not eating any veggies that it wasn't my style to force it to him. He concurred and said "I see no point in forcing your kid to sit at the table and eat a green bean. It just causes the whole eating thing to be a stressful time and it doesn't make them like green beans." He said his daughter was the exact same way and they let it go and eventually she started adding more things to her diet and in fact, has a boyfriend now (she's 22) who is influencing her to eat all kind of new foods. As long as Brady keeps growing, I shouldn't worry and I don't need to give him a multivitamin either or anything.

Next he asked me if Brady was going to do pre-school in the fall. Of course, I whole heartedly do NOT agree with sending your kid to pre-school and I am firm in those convictions but somehow I couldn't help feeling a little defensive. I said "No, but his sisters homeschool and I'm sure he'll be learning some things along with them." The doc says "Oh good. I'm glad you aren't sending him. I say let kids be kids. They'll have plenty of time to sit and learn later." I knew I loved this doctor!

Brady - 4 Years Old

Height - 39 1/4 inches (25th percentile)
Weight - 33 pounds (25th percentile)
Blood Pressure - 90/65
Heart Rate - 92
Clothing Size - 4T for shirts, 3T for shorts and pants
Shoe Size - 9
Favorite Color - Green (switched from blue this year)

Our next bit of excitement was on Wednesday when we met Elaine, Derek, Tyler, Russ, Saray, and the Bergherms (minus Bruce) at the Science Center. They have a new exhibit called "Mummies" there that was of particular interest. Even though we have a membership, you have to pay $10 to get in and I was thinking that it wouldn't be ideal for the boys. It worked out perfectly that the girls and Blake could go in with Elaine while Jennifer and I stayed with the other kids. Elaine told me that Calleigh and Blake asked a lot of questions about it. These are, in fact, dead mummified bodies so it can be a little much perhaps for kids but it went very well.

In the hurricane simulator. Love Colby's face.

Afterwards we tried to get lunch at the Subway there (although I had brought stuff for the kids so it would be just for me) but there were like 35 people in line so we said forget that and decided to go walk over to the hospital cafeteria instead. I hadn't been there in a year and it had been much longer since I had eaten there so I was very much up for it. I was very impressed with how friendly everyone was in the cafeteria, I must say. I even had a random employee ask me if I needed help carrying my tray (I was pushing the stroller and of course had all the kids in tow). When I went to pay, I was commiserating that since I wasn't an employee any more, I no longer had a badge to get the 30% off. But then the cashier says, without any prompting from me, "You look familiar." I told her I used to work there and she's says "Then I'm going to give you the discount." How nice. As I sat there eating, I contemplated going to visit my friends in Accounting but I really didn't think I was up for it. I didn't think I could go look at my friend Treva's (the one who died last year from the bursted Carotid artery) desk without crying. I still think about her so often.

Thursday was another day out. This time to the zoo where the Bergherms joined us again. It's so nice to have friends come along! And yes, it is still incredibly hot out and maybe we are crazy to walk around outdoors when it's this blazing hot but that's Florida for you and you just have to roll with the punches. They at least have a splash playground there so the kids were able to cool off. We brought lunch with us and ate at a picnic table right outside the entrance (since you can't bring your own food in). It's particularly nice to have lunch when we are out and it gets to be 1:00 - 2:00 o'clock because Colby always falls asleep in the car on the way home. But the good thing about him is that you can move him from the car to the crib he either stays asleep or goes right back to sleep. If we haven't had lunch yet when we're out like that, then I have to wake him up to eat when we get home and then he most definitely won't go back to sleep later. That is a terrible thing because I need my quiet time!

The two rhinos behind them in this picture (you can only see one) were so hysterical fighting/playing with each other. I wished I had taken a video. Highlight of the day.

Evan paid to feed the giraffe.

Another day, another raccoon scrounging for food right near our picnic table during lunch.

Riding the train.

When you know it's been a fun day....

Friday morning we did our yard sales and made stops at Trader Joe's and Costco. After nap time we loaded up to drive way over to Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont where Ron, Elaine, Derek, and Tyler, were staying in a cabin for the weekend. It's about a 35-minute drive although we took a longer route on the way there. Duncan missed the exit while he was on the phone and the way Google maps took us was on this dirt road. I was imagining us driving into a lake because "the GPS told us to go this way" but it did eventually lead us to where we wanted to go. It is a really pretty state park and the cabin they were staying in was fantastic. It was 2-bedroom unit with a really huge screened in porch on the front overlooking a lake. Only $120 a night. If anyone is looking for a place to stay when they come down here for Disney, this is it! It wouldn't be a very far commute from there. They have a ton of nature trails so we took about a 45-minute hike before supper. When you're in Florida you always have to be on the lookout for snakes and the like not to mention all the spiders we saw hanging down. Brady kept getting out in front and we kept telling him to stay with the group since we didn't want him to step on a snake or something accidentally. His response every time was "I'm not afraid of anything!" We also saw some bobcat tracks which was pretty cool. We knew it was that because they had a sign nearby that helped you identify the different tracks you could see. Anyway, great park if anyone local is looking to do some hiking!

Someone at a yard sale was selling these mystery bags for $.50. Such a fun idea. The kids loved it.

We told Brady to get some shoes to go to Lake Louisa, but not his crocs since we were going to hike, and this is what he put on. Fortunately we had noticed and brought something else.

Look at that porch!

Haven't used this backpack in years!

This morning started off very dramatically. We have been watching some friends' guinea pig, Cheddar, for the past week which has been caged outside our back door. We checked on him last night about 9:15 and then this morning when I opened the blinds, the top of the cage was off and Cheddar was nowhere to be seen. It was a very bad feeling to make that discovery. I yelled for everyone to get up and come outside and help me look in case he somehow was dawdling around the yard somewhere even though I knew the chances of that were very remote. We looked for a few minutes and then Calleigh spotted him up in the "clubhouse" of our swing set. It was as I thought. There were no storms or wind or anything so we can only surmise that an animal had somehow gotten the top off the cage...we are thinking most likely a raccoon. We felt terrible that he had come to an end like this and then Calleigh was very worried that her friend would be mad at her since the girls were "in charge" of taking care of him. Thankfully the kids have been told and are handling it pretty well with no grudges. But still, a sad day.