Cheap Fun + From the Heart

Today we were supposed to go to Sea World with some momma friends but when that didn't pan out, we found ourselves with a completely unstructured day. No gym today since I was pretty sore and was coming down with a throat virus so it was up to I. and I to figure out what we wanted to do.

Since we had recently gone to Sea World, we decided to use a coupon a friend gave us for the Children's Museum downtown. We enjoyed our time there and then went next door for some pancakes for lunch - blueberry for I. and pecan for me. Yummy!

Because we don't find ourselves downtown very often, after lunch we wandered around looking at all the new residential high-rises that have popped up in the recent years and I was pointing out some of the really tall hotels to I. Then it hit me. I. has never been in a big fancy hotel in her life. Lots of restaurants, some timeshares, and cabins has been her repetoire so far. With that knowledge in mind, we strolled into the Hyatt, took the elevator up to the 38th floor and admired the views for awhile. Then we walked a little more over to Embassy Suites so that we could ride the glass elevator up and down after doing an interior lap on the top floor. Completely free entertainment and it was all first time stuff for I. - you just can't beat that!

When we were walking around the Hyatt, I. asked me if I had ever been in nice hotels and I told her that when I was working, I used to go to nice hotels often for meetings. Then I told her that I would rather be with her and be her mommy than go to all these nice hotels for meetings. The best parts were that one, after I said that, she hugged my legs so she "got it" and two, I meant every word I said.

The only downsides to the day is that this virus is hitting me hard and I'm going to bed soon 'cause I feel really lousy and one of my momma friends is in the process of losing her mother to cancer and I can't get her out of my mind. It brings up that whole last week with Mark and it doesn't help that his 40th birthday would have been on this coming Monday so he already was on my mind. Knowing what she is going through just makes my heart hurt and the fact that it's her mother brings a whole new level of empathy for her. The only thing I hope for is that what I went through with Mark will allow me to pay it forward in the future and help others in some way.