Miami: Spring Break 2013

Another travel blog for all you jelly bellies! We picked up and went to Miami for Spring Break this year as an early celebration for my mother's 60th birthday. She doesn't actually turn 60 until May 7th, but we academics have to travel when school is not in session. It just so happened that our spring breaks (Bozeman public school's and University of Pittsburgh's) fell on the same week this year. Auntie Sara (Ossi) was able to join us because she works from home (is unemployed) until next week! We left on a sunny Saturday and Pittsburgh was showing inklings of spring. That did not stop us from singing Happy birthday Miami the whole way to the airport! 

We were lucky enough to stay at my aunt and uncle's apartment in South Beach: a pretty nice place to "kick back" (ZOMG IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!) Here are a few pictures:

Linner at the airport in Pittsburgh (the traditional shot every time we travel)

Traveling with a toddler can wear you OUT. Sing it Guillermo.

Sunday morning brekkie in Miami

An adventure to the grocery store. 

Playing with the wind

Ossi is THE BEST PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE

Sara and I are on the same Instagrammers anonymous train 

On Sundays the cruise ships set sail. We watched many of them honk their way past. Notice Antonia's hand on her hip. She is a parrot and imitates everything she sees or hears now (excuse the swearing) 

Mami arrived in the evening and we promptly went for a stroll on the beach.

Guillaume and Antonia spent an enormous amount of time playing in the waves. 

The Continuum: our home for a week (the building right behind us)

The weather changed a bit every day. We had clouds and sun most days and it was usually chilly in the mornings. It made for some beautiful skies. 

Master bedroom sunset view

A botched attempt to get my mother and sister to play a game.  I must have gotten my taste for scrabble and other word games from my father.

This little gadget came in handy. It's just wheels you can attach your car seat to. We used it as a stroller and were able to hop in and out of cabs safely while being tourists! A good investment! I got it on amazon: Gogo babyz is the brand I think. Here we are off to Little Havana. 

I'm so glad we got a little lost because it meant finding a fun Banksy on the gigantic Goodwill in Little Havana. They had covered it in glass. 

Mami ordering in Spanish

Drinks at the bar

Uncle Sheldon plays cello and so Sara was able to serenade us with his instrument! 

Just your every day super hot beach babes playing paddle ball! 

Rossinis and margaritas

I am infinitely proud of this and I'll tell you why: Antonia has been potty trained for a couple weeks now and I was worried that leaving the comfort of her routine would throw her off. Not so! Instead of peeing in her panties she told her papa she needed to go so we squatted her down at the marina on our way to dinner. The whole week went very well, whether public potties were available or not! 

I asked Antonia what color ice cream she wanted and she said PINK (surprise surprise) but then she tasted my hazelnut and chocolate and wanted that instead. The next time we went out for gelato she said "I want BROWN now." 

Very windy

What did you expect? Cuban cigars and champers on the balcony. Guillaume asked if I could cut out his shirt but I refused. It's part of the package. 

Guillaume stayed home with Antonia when Sara and I took Mami out for tango. We had MUCH too much fun and my new motto is henceforth "no martinis after midnight." I spent the next day tragically "under the weather" for the first time in years.

Just the best looking broads around. No biggie.

In the convertible on the way back to South beach.

My sister's friend Amanda.

Antonia let me nap with her the next day as I was recovering from being old.

Don't take your eyes off this one: she was off in a second to go get more water for the sand castle giant hole Guillaume "built"

Digging a hole to China.

Snoozing

On our last day Antonia napped on the beach as though she knew none of us wanted to go inside. 

We forced Mamma to cover up because she was getting too much sun. 

An almost exact likeness of Figo at Joe's Stone crab "shack" Antonia noticed him immediately. 

Ok so did you know that you are only allowed to harvest a stone crab's claws three times because they grow them back?  

We don't want to leeeeeaaaave.

Ba bye Miami 

Sleeping on the plane. Direct flights are the way to go! 

What a wonderful week! Even though I may be the only person in the history of Miami to not get any sun while there. Good to know SPF 50 sunscreen works!