We arrived in Kissimmee Florida, and found our rental townhouse, by about 5:15pm, just before sunset. It turns out that our unit is on the end, and right next to a really nice little playground, which the boys found enchanting after a long day cramped in the car. We’re just across from the swimming pool (although, so far, the weather has been a bit cold for the pool).

The house itself is perfect!! I was a bit worried about what we were going to find, having used SniqueAway for the first time to reserve this vacation (for an amazing deal!), but it’s worked out incredibly well!! It’s comfortable, and spacious, and we have all the amenities that we’re used to that make life easier (dishwasher, washer/dryer, cable tv and, most important, wifi!). We’re going to be very happy and comfortable here for the week, and that’s one huge relief for me (cross off one more source of angst off my vacation preparation mental list).

The only downside so far has been that S has been ill. He never gets sick – I think he’s been really sick one other time since we welcomed him to our family. But, when he gets sick, he does it 100% (like everything else he does). He wasn’t feeling well last night, and we medicated him with Ibuprofen, and tried to push fluids into him. He woke up this morning hot, and complaining of headache and sore throat. We re-administered Ibuprofen, and again pushed the juice and water. He perked up a little, and we headed for our planned day at Animal Kingdom. We started off heading to the Asia section to join up with our friends who had been in the park since it’s opening that morning, and were watching the “Flight of Wonder” show when we arrived. We got an icy berry slush, which the boys shared, with the hope that the cold would sooth S’s throat. And, he seemed to be in better spirits when we were joined by our friends, who S adores!!

Our friends introduced us to the time-saving strategy of the FASTPASS service – something I don’t think we would have figured out on our own. What a great idea! We got our FastPasses, and then we wandered through the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, seeing a variety of animals and learning about them. We were nearly at the end of the trail, and S just gave up.

“I want to go home.”

We tried a re-dosing with Ibuprofen (thanks to our well-stocked and well-prepared friends), and again pushing fluids.

And, once more, he perked up, enough to get on the Safari ride to see the animals in the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. He was interested in the animals, but he definitely wasn’t himself. And, at the end of the ride, he repeated his request, this time definitively, “I want to go home”.

So, Dad took him home, and I spent the rest of the day with J and our friends, seeing more of the park.

We went to several shows, and managed to fit in one ride, and had an incredible lunch (which was eerily like being in the actual Africa!! I even had an authentic Tusker lager, from Nairobi, Kenya, in the Tusker House, where we ate).

I’m hopeful that S will wake up tomorrow revived and ready for fun. He’s always so high energy, it’s hard to see him suffer. J, who is much more frequently sick, and never as adventurous as his brother at the best of times, I’m more used to comforting in the ill state. S resists comforting, which makes it even harder to see him like this.

So, I pray for a night of healing for both our boys, and great Day #2 to our vacation week.